


Protego Maxima

by soul_writerr



Series: Hogwarts AU [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Anxiety, Boys In Love, Creature Inheritance, Fainting, Fluff, Friendship, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Protectiveness, Quidditch, Teenage Drama, Veela (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: Sonny and Rafael are back for their last year at Hogwarts. Graduation is coming up, along with important exams and life-changing decisions which brew tension and fights amongst their group of friends. It all reaches its climax when Sonny mysteriously faints. Twice.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Rita Calhoun/Carmen
Series: Hogwarts AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1504184
Comments: 117
Kudos: 68





	1. The Last Train

**Author's Note:**

> Protego Maxima is a shield charm that, from latin, means "I protect to the highest limit". 
> 
> This work is part 2 of my Hogwarts series, and it is important that you read part 1 before reading this, otherwise you might miss details, not be able to follow the story, and you'll get spoilers from part 1. 
> 
> Other tags might be added as the story progresses, so remember to check back. Enjoy!

In the history of the Hogwarts Express, Rafael was pretty sure there had never been a compartment so well mixed like the one he was in just then. The idea of splitting the train in fourths, each one occupied by a different house, had flown out of the window this time. 

It was their 7th and last year at Hogwarts, and it felt only natural that the group would want to enjoy their time together. So there they were, cramming into a single compartment. 

Sonny and Rafael were sitting side by side, glued to each other, Sonny’s arm around Rafael’s shoulders. In front of them, standing up, was Mike, leaning against the large window, his arms crossed over his chest casually. Nick and Olivia were sitting across from them, Nick with his body tilted towards the other Gryffindor as she sat up straight, her legs spread in front of her.

Olivia was talking to Amanda, who was sitting beside her, while Rita was standing by the door, looking amused as she listened to Carmen read their timetable with growing excitement. Carmen had taken the last seat beside Rafael, and while he was so smashed against Sonny it left enough room for Rita to sit, she chose to hover over her girlfriend instead.

“So, it appears we’ll have most of our classes together,” Rafael whispered to Sonny, smiling wickedly. “Do you think you’ll be able to concentrate, or will we have a reprise of what happened in Apparition class?”

Sonny shot him a goofy smile, then leaned into his personal space a little more, their noses inches away from brushing together. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I think I’m even more obsessed with you now than I was then.” 

Rafael hummed, taking in Sonny’s face. “I predict a disaster, then.”

“I think you’ll need to tutor me,” he winked. 

“I think I must,” Rafael offered coyly. “How about we start now?”

Watching the way Sonny’s eyes widened and his cheeks heated up was exhilarating, and he quickly pulled Rafael up by the waist, keeping their bodies pressed together.

“We’re going to look for the candy lady,” Sonny said, his voice sounding a little rough.

“Oh, nice,” Mike stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a couple coins. “Could you--”

“Dodds,” Rita interrupted. “They’re not _actually_ going to buy candy.”

Amanda and Olivia snickered, and Nick pursed his lips and kissed the air in a mock representation of what Sonny and Rafael were actually going to do. Mike rolled his eyes, then chuckled, putting his money back in his pocket. Sonny blushed even harder.

“Excuse me,” Rafael said to Rita, pushing past her on his way out, dragging a extremely red on the face Sonny by the hand. 

There was a small alcove between the last compartment and a staff door on the train, by the bathrooms. It was often seeked out by older students, for the same reason Rafael and Sonny were silently hoping it was vacant as they made their way there. 

Rafael had half a second to internally celebrate the fact that it was, because in a blink of an eye Sonny had him up against the wall. He absolutely loved the way Sonny towered over him before he leaned down, capturing his lips in a deep kiss that made his toes curl inside his shoes.

Rafael had missed this so much. During summer, Sonny had stayed a week with Rafael, then he had taken the train back with Sonny to spend a week with the Carisis. Meeting Sonny’s family had been stressful but lovely, and Rafael’s grandmother was also completely smitten with him. 

But two weeks out of three months were most definitely not enough, and when Rafael had caught sight of Sonny on Platform 9 ¾, it’d taken everything in him not to run straight to him, but Rafael did pick up his pace and jumped into his embrace with a relieved sigh.

So if Rafael threw his arms around Sonny’s neck and held on to him tighter as they kissed now, it was nobody’s business but his own. He had missed his boyfriend, and he was going to make the most of this moment while he could.

Thankfully, Sonny seemed to be on the same page, because he wrapped his arms around Rafael’s waist and pulled him closer, tilting his head to the side to kiss him deeper, licking into his mouth with a hunger that rivalled Rafael’s own, humming happily.

As Head Boy of Ravenclaw House, Rafael didn’t approve of when Sonny marked him above the collar. He needed to be respected by his peers if he wanted to perform his duties properly, and sporting bright purple hickeys was not the way to go. Sonny, on the other hand, absolutely loved it when Rafael left a visible mark on him, so Rafael allowed the indulgence. 

Especially because Sonny’s neck was unbelievably long and soft, and he always smelled _so good_. Not to mention that thanks to his fair complexion, his skin bruised unsurprisingly easy, so it was a delight to both Sonny and Rafael himself to play along. 

When they next parted for a breath, Rafael immediately started nipping and licking along his jawline and down his neck, increasing the pressure by the second. 

“Yes,” Sonny hissed as Rafael sucked below his ear, then licked across it with a soothing tongue. “God. Do it again.”

Rafael chuckled against his skin, pressing light kisses down his neck, in search of the next target. He paused just by the base of Sonny’s neck, right above his shirt collar, where his mark would definitely be visible, and nipped at the skin there. Sonny shook slightly against him, letting out a small sigh as Rafael licked and teased, then gasped loudly when Rafael bit into his skin and sucked hard.

“Rafael,” Sonny said, breathless. “Come on.” 

He continued sucking for a few more seconds, until he was certain the bruise would hold, then pulled away, kissing over the bright mark. “You smell so good,” Rafael panted, running his nose over Sonny’s jaw. 

In a quick movement that almost caught Rafael off guard, Sonny claimed his lips again in an open-mouthed kiss that was all tongue and teeth, tasting and claiming. 

Rafael buried his hands in Sonny’s hair then, keeping a firm grip there even as their lips pulled away and met again in a different angle. He lost track of time, of how many times they broke apart for air only to return to each other a breath later. Rafael was sure his lips looked red and swollen, and that Sonny’s hair was probably a mess right now. 

He had no intention of stopping, though.

“I could kiss you all day,” Sonny whispered between them when they parted again. “God, I don’t ever want to stop.”

Rafael nipped at his bottom lip. “Then don’t.”

Sonny hummed, pressing gentle, short kisses to his lips. “You’ll regret saying that if we don’t actually find the candy trolley.”

He pulled back to lift an eyebrow at Sonny. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that if we don’t stock up now, it’ll be two weeks until we can go into Honeydukes, and I know how you get without your candy stash.”

“You know me too well,” Rafael smiled, charmed by Sonny’s consideration.

“I do,” Sonny pecked his lips a couple more times, the last one lingering a few beats longer. “Let’s go find it, then.”

* * *

They eventually did find the candy trolley lady, and Sonny let Rafael buy what he wanted without saying anything. Rafael always underestimated himself and bought a very small quantity of sweets. So then, when it was Sonny’s turn, he asked for twice what Rafael had chosen, plus some couple things for himself and Bella, and a handful to share with everybody else.

That way, when Rafael pouted at his suddenly empty box of butterscotch, Sonny could swoop in like a thoughtful Prince Charming of a boyfriend with another full box for him. It always happened like that, and Rafael always looked at him with beautiful, big, green, thankful eyes. It was worth it every damn time.

When they got back to the compartment, everybody started shouting at them, cooing and making kissing noises.

“Back so early,” Rita chimed in. “And Carisi, only sporting three hickeys? You could’ve done better than, Rafael.”

“Shut it, Calhoun,” Rafael huffed, pushing past her once again to take his seat. Sonny winked at her, and got a chuckle as a response. 

As Rafael cracked open his first box of candy, Sonny passed a few sherbet lemons around, and gave Mike a chocolate frog. Mike made to pay him back for it, but Sonny pushed his hand away.

“Just give me the card if you get Headmistress Barth. It’s the last one I need to complete my collection,” Sonny said proudly.

“You really collect those?,” Nick asked, smirking. “I throw all mine out.”

“Blasphemy!,” Mike stomped. “Chocolate frog cards are considered a religion in Hufflepuff. Whenever someone completes their collection, it’s a whole thing.” 

“I guess life in Hufflepuff really is simple,” Amanda teased. “Who have you got, then?”

Mike teared the box opened and everybody laughed when the frog jumped right onto his face, but he grabbed it quickly, stuffing it in his mouth. He pulled out the card and turned it. There, smiling kindly at them, was Headmistress Elana Barth.

“No way!,” Sonny cheered, taking the card from Mike with no preamble. “Oh Jesus, my collection’s complete! What a way to start our last year, uh?”

Beside Sonny, Rafael was laughing at his enthusiasm, shaking his head in exasperated amusement. Sonny shot him a toothy grin. 

“Isn’t it weird that this is the last time we’ll be taking the train into Hogwarts?,” Carmen said with a wistful sigh.

A silence fell around the group as people looked around and at each other. There was a sudden feeling of coming full circle, of understanding that things were about to change forever, and life the way they knew it was coming to an end.

“Have you guys settled on your careers post-Hogwarts, then?,” Olivia asked, trying to injected some lighter energy around. 

Unfortunately, for Sonny, that question only brought a rush of doubts to the forefront of his mind. Because he didn’t know for sure what he wanted to do. He loved Quidditch, and he’d love to go professional, but he’d been owling Mike’s father about the Auror program in secret.

After everything that had happened with Rafael the year before, once the stress had passed, Sonny found that he enjoyed working on the case, he enjoyed putting the pieces together and trying to come up with a solution. According to Mike’s father, he had great potential.

Mike didn’t know about it yet, and Sonny withheld the information with looming trepidation. He wasn’t sure how his friend would take it, given that he’d spent the last two years bashing the Auror department at every turn. He thought, then, that he was doing it for Mike’s sake, but now that Mike had decided to go into the program, Sonny didn’t know where he stood anymore. 

“Curse-breaking,” Rafael said immediately, and Sonny couldn’t help but smile at him. Ever since Barth’s suggestion, he’d been nose-deep into the subject, and loving it more by the day. “After I saved the school from Stone’s psycho bracelet, I thought it’d be a great fit for me,” he joked. It was true, though.

“Smug ass,” Rita huffed, throwing her long hair over her shoulder. “I’m going into the Wizengamot. My father has secured a position for me.” 

Amanda frowned. “Aren’t you a little young for that?”

“There’s no such thing as _too young_ when daddy has pull, right Calhoun?,” Nick provoked, and Olivia rolled her eyes beside him. 

Rita and Nick always clashed. Out of the whole group, the two were the most likely to jump on each other’s throats, by far. 

Rita sneered at Nick. “As if you know anything about that. How’s old Nicolas?”

“Okay, enough,” Olivia raised a hand when Nick made a go for his wand. “We’re not even on Hogwarts ground yet, calm down.” 

“I’m going into Healing,” Carmen said, pulling the focus back. 

“Me, too,” Olivia smiled. “Pediatrics, I think. I’ve always liked children.”

“Great, you can compare notes, then,” Amanda teased. “I’m going into the Aurors academy.”

“Same,” Nick said, settling back into his seat.

“And me,” Mike added in, chuckling. “I’ll bet my father’s happy with the turn-up.”

“What about you, Sonny?,” Carmen asked softly, smiling at him.

Sonny swallowed, overwhelmed at having all eyes on him. Then Rafael set a hand on his knee, looking at him with an understanding expression, and Sonny breathed out slowly.

“I like Quidditch,” he said after the short pause. “I think it’d be cool to go professional.”

“Oh, really?,” Nick perked up. “You invite any scouts yet?”

“Not yet,” Sonny shifted nervously. “I’ve gotta get the team ready, and Headmistress Barth has to sign off on it. But yeah, I might.” 

“Let me know,” he nodded, smirking. “Maybe invite them for a game with Gryffindor, you know.” 

“You already jumping off the Aurors boat, Amaro?,” Amanda teased. “Better for us, Dodds.”

“Shut up,” Nick grunted. “It’s just good to keep doors open.” 

As Amanda and Mike poked fun at Nick, Sonny allowed himself to fade into the background, silently removing himself from the conversation. Olivia and Carmen seemed to strike up a conversation about Healing too, and Sonny felt even worse about his indecision. 

The clock was ticking. The longer he waited, the worse it would be in the end. With their NEWTs just around the corner, Sonny had to make up his mind. He had even considered doing both, after all, most Quidditch players retired young. But would he want to retire just to start from zero again at the Auror academy, with all his friends already miles ahead of him? 

“Hey,” Rafael called him out of his spiral, squeezing his knee. “Are you okay?”

Sonny smiled at him. “Yeah, yeah. Just thinking.” 

Rafael nodded, looking like he understood perfectly what was going through his head. They had talked about it incessantly through summer, Rafael had listened to all his uncertainties. He knew, more than anyone, that Sonny still didn’t know what he was going to do. 

And seeing that understanding in Rafael’s eyes somehow helped put him at ease. 

He leaned in to peck Rafael quickly on the lips. “It’s all gonna be okay.”

“It already is,” Rafael smiled, and popped a piece of butterscotch in his mouth with a wink.


	2. The Letter from Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael gets bad news from home, and Quidditch is a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Anxiety.

Amongst the sea of royal blue in the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall, there was one speck of bright yellow. And everybody knew, without having to check once, that the speck of yellow was Sonny Carisi, having breakfast with his boyfriend, Rafael Barba.

Professor Ellis had questioned it, Professor McCoy had complained, but both times Sonny had argued for inter-house unity. When the Headmistress heard him, she had simply shaken her head, amused. 

So those were the first days at Hogwarts, the Ravenclaw table having their breakfast interrupted by professors questioning Sonny’s presence there, and Sonny charming his way through. 

Rafael grew more amused by the day. 

Fortunately, the novelty wore off after the third day, and Sonny was now expected to be in the sea of blue the same way any Ravenclaw student would. 

Sonny knew not to press his luck, though, and enjoyed lunch and dinner with his fellow Hufflepuffs. It was always easier to get away with it early in the morning, he’d say, and Rafael appreciated the effort.

So now it was Thursday, Sonny was sat astride the bench, listening to Rafael go on and on about the last thing he’d read about Curse-Breaking as he sipped his morning coffee. 

It was a routine that Rafael had quickly grown accustomed to. 

“Headmistress Barth said I can owl anyone at the Ministry to set an interview,” he was saying. “Although I’m not sure if she meant for _me_ to interview _them_ or for _them_ to interview _me_.”

Sonny laughed. “I take it you have a lot of questions?”

“A few,” Rafael shrugged. 

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” he said, half-teasing. 

“You should contact them soon,” Carmen suggested. “You’ll need a mentor as soon as you start the course.” 

Rafael nodded. “Barth mentioned they’re in desperate need of trainees, so I don’t think it’ll be too difficult.” 

“For you? Definitely not,” Sonny said with a charming wink, and Rafael rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 

“Have you found yourself a mentor?,” Rafael asked Carmen, buttering his toast. 

“I’ve been exchanging some Owls with the Head Healer,” she said proudly. “She says I’ll be assigned to a Healer or a Mediwizard as soon as she gets my NEWTs results.”

He smiled. “Good for you, Carmen. With the amount of researching you’ll be doing, Healing sounds just like the place for you.” 

Carmen smirked at him. “You’re one to talk. Curse-Breaking is just as search-heavy, if not more. But from what we’ve seen last year, you’ll do brilliantly.”

“I can’t believe you’re giving each other compliments over your research abilities,” Sonny laughed, shaking his head amusedly. “That’s the most Ravenclaw thing I’ve ever seen.”

“And you not participating in the conversation because you’re _stuffing your face_ is the most Hufflepuff thing _I’ve_ ever seen,” Rafael teased back, snatching away the croissant he was just about to bite into.

“Hey,” Sonny protested, still laughing. 

Just then there was a loud screech from above, and owls came flying in with the morning mail. Copies of the Daily Prophet rained over the tables, and Rafael’s owl sweeped in low to drop a single envelope in front of him.

He immediately recognized his mother writing and teared it open, half fearing what he’d find. Under Sonny’s watchful eyes, he started reading, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he could hear it.

> _Son,_
> 
> _Your grandmother had to be taken into St. Mungo’s again. I’m afraid her instability might keep her here for a while. But she’s lucid and responsive, and won’t stop asking about you (and Sonny)._
> 
> _The Healers say she’s not taking her treatment seriously enough for it to make any considerable difference. I’m starting to think you were right about finding a care-home for her, if she keeps being this stubborn about taking her potions._
> 
> _I’m afraid she won’t be the slightest bit happy about it, but this can’t go on any further._
> 
> _Don’t take too long to write back, she’s anxious for news. If you could add in a note from Sonny too she’d be most satisfied._
> 
> _I hope the school year has begun with no incidents. Don’t stress yourself out too much, Rafael, this is a special year, and your grandmother and I will be fine._
> 
> _Much love,_
> 
> _Lucia._

Rafael had been holding the parchment so tightly that he’d accidentally crumpled the corners. His breath was locked in his throat, and it was only when he felt Sonny’s warm hand on his back that he exhaled. 

He folded the letter back into itself and stuffed it inside the envelope, setting it aside with a shaky hand. 

Maybe he’d been naive in thinking his grandmother would be okay when he left. She’d seemed well enough during summer, with the occasional bad days. Nothing serious enough for her to be taken into St. Mungo’s.

But a lot of the bad symptoms were the product of his grandmother’s reluctance. She refused to drink her potions before dinner because she said it made her queasy. She refused to take them before bed because it made her want to get up to pee. There was always an excuse.

When Rafael and his mother weren’t looking, she’d cast spells behind their backs; tidy dishes, clean tables, rearrange furniture, even though the Healers had told her to keep spells to a minimum until her magical core was stable again.

So because she continued to ignore the Healer’s orders and act behind their backs, Rafael and Lucia had looked into care-homes for witches. But of course, his grandmother had kicked and screamed as soon as they mentioned it.

Rafael had never felt so young as he did the moment his grandmother pulled him into her lap and said all she wanted was to see him graduate, and she couldn’t do that from a care-home.

The Great Hall seemed to be swimming away from his grasp as he kept looking at the now closed envelope, the words burned in his brain; the noises around him dialed down to nothing but an annoying buzz. His breathing was shallow, and he was pretty sure he was an inch away from an anxiety attack.

But Sonny looked at him, then the letter, and wrapped an arm around his back. 

“You’re okay, it’s okay,” he whispered to Rafael, then turned to Carmen with a friendly smile. “How’s Rita handling not having many classes with you?,” he asked, and Rafael tried to focus on the sound of his voice and the soothing motions of Sonny’s hand on his back. 

Carmen cleared her throat loudly. “She’s not happy, but we’ll make up for it with weekly dates. I’ll make a schedule and everything.”

“That sounds good,” Sonny said, his hand still caressing Rafael’s back and kneading at his tense muscles. “How about we make it a double date sometime? What do you think, the four of us?”

“I’d love that,” Carmen smiled, and pushed a glass of water towards Rafael. “We could go next Hogsmeade weekend.” 

“Raf?,” Sonny called softly, his arm wrapping Rafael up tightly then, protective. 

Rafael blinked quickly, looking at his boyfriend until his face fell back into focus. “Sorry, what?”

Sonny smiled, the perfect picture of patience. Rafael leaned into his touch a little more. “Carmen and Rita, you and me. Double date, what do you think?”

He took a couple seconds to process it, but eventually Rafael nodded. “I think Rita would absolutely hate that. Let’s do it.”

* * *

Quidditch was a mess. 

Sonny still hadn’t talked to Mike about the Chaser position, so their team was already lacking. Besides that, the other players seemed unmotivated and, frankly, annoyed that Sonny didn’t seem to be able to jump back on the saddle - or the broom, so to speak. 

It was like their win last year hadn’t happened at all. Their first training session had been slow, unimpressive. Spirits were down, and Sonny knew that most of it was coming from him being stressed and distracted. 

He felt tired, overwhelmed, itchy, and suddenly he could see why Mike had chosen to leave the team once his schedule got filled by other duties. Not that Sonny _had_ other duties, his mind was just constantly occupied by how disastrous his future looked.

“What’s up with you, Sonny?,” Silvia asked once they landed back on the ground. It was hot, her bangs were matted against her forehead, and it made her look more frazled than she was.

“Sorry,” he sighed, pulling his gloves off. “I’m worried about some things. I think my head just wasn’t in it today.”

“You think?,” she said, but not unkindly. “Don’t get me wrong, Sonny, but you looked like you’d rather be literally anywhere else than here.”

Sonny frowned. “That’s not true. I love Quidditch.”

“I know you do,” Silvia smiled sympathetically. “But you were so distracted you didn’t even notice there was a scout in the stands.”

He froze, one glove on, one off. “What?,” he hissed. 

Silvia’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah, over there,” she pointed over at the Slytherin stands. “They left halfway through, though.”

Sonny let his head fall, his chin to his chest, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, counted down in his head, tried to will himself not to scream out in frustration. “I didn’t invite anyone,” he said, clipped. 

“But someone came anyway,” she sighed. “I heard from the Slytherin Captain that there was someone at their training, too. They don’t approach anyone, apparently, they just watch.” 

“Shit,” Sonny spat. He should have known. Of course someone would come unannounced on the worst training day they had ever had. “Could you tell which team they’re from?”

“No, but maybe you could ask the Headmistress? I know she has to approve of it before they can come in,” Silvia offered eagerly. “She’ll know who was scheduled to see Hufflepuff.”

Sonny nodded, trying to remain hopeful. “Yeah, good idea. I’ll ask the Headmistress and send them a letter. Hopefully I can get them to come some other day again.”

“You’ll get other chances, Sonny. Just work out what’s stressing you this much,” Silvia threw her broom over her shoulder and smiled. “You’re a great Captain when you’ve got your head in the game, we all know it.” 

“Thank you,” he smiled back. “And I’m sorry again. I’ll make it up to the team, I promise.”

“I’m not worried,” Silvia said gleefully, making her way towards the broomshed. “Take care, Captain.” 

“You, too. See you Monday,” he called after her. 

When Silvia was out of sight, Sonny allowed himself to sag again. He seriously doubted that whoever had just watched their training session was going to come back for another try, and it made his heart fall to his feet.

He couldn’t keep compromising everything like this. He needed to talk to Mike, put things out in the open, invite him back, and work the team out. This was their last year, and Sonny wanted it to be even better than 6th year.

Sonny just hoped it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know anxiety is different for everybody, so I wrote Rafael's anxious reaction to his mother's letter from my own experience, and what I do/ask others to do to try and get myself out of it. Be safe and find things that work for you <3
> 
> This chapter was a bit lighter but things start really picking up in the next one, when a new student comes into Hogwarts. See you tomorrow!!


	3. The Exchange Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael gives Sonny some advice, and a new student arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments so far! I really appreciate you all <3 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ever since Sonny told Rafael that he had been planning on asking Rafael to be his boyfriend under the apple tree by the lake, the little spot became  _ theirs _ . Between classes, after lunch, after dinner or at the weekends, they’d meet there and have some time alone to talk, cuddle, and, obviously, make out. 

It was Sonny’s favorite spot on castle ground by far. 

He was sitting with his back against the tree bark, his legs spread and open so Rafael could sit between them, his back against Sonny’s chest. He liked it when Sonny put his arms around his stomach and hugged him tight, so that was precisely what Sonny was doing, while simultaneously pressing soft kisses to his neck.

“So how does your team look?,” Rafael asked after a prolonged sigh, somehow leaning even more into Sonny. “Did you lose anyone?”

Sonny hummed, thinking about the current state of his team. “Only one Chaser, thankfully. I’m thinking about offering Mike the spot.”

Rafael turned his head to look at him curiously. “Has he ever played as Chaser?”

“No,” he shrugged. “But I want him back on the team, you know?! It’s our last year.” 

Rafael nodded, settling back into his previous position. “I get it. It’s strange, it seems like everything we have to do this year is wrapped up in a big decision. It’s only our first week and I already feel like my future’s compromised.”

Sonny tightened his arms around Rafael. “Yeah, I definitely know what you mean. But I also know that if anyone’s going to have a brilliant future, it’s you, Raf.”

“So will you,” Rafael said immediately, and Sonny couldn’t help but chuckle. “I mean it. I know you’re not sure right now, but it’s not because you’re not competent. On the contrary, you’re so  _ good, _ you have too much on your plate. Have you realized you’re trying to choose between something you absolutely love and wanting to help people, while also avoiding the possibility of upsetting your best friend?”

He considered it for a moment. Rafael was biased, of course he was, but then again Sonny’s indecision did come from not wanting to let go of something he loved for the chance of hurting Mike. 

So Sonny sighed, letting his head fall back against the tree bark. “I think I have to stop putting it off and talk to Mike.” 

“I agree,” Rafael smiled sympathetically. “It might not be as bad as you think it will be.”

“I don’t know, I’ve said some pretty nasty stuff about the Auror department. I almost feel weird wanting to go into it after bashing it for so long.” 

“I’m not going to pretend I understand why you did that, especially because Mike chose to go into the program anyway,” he frowned.

“I thought I was being a good friend,” Sonny groaned. “Mike always got so upset whenever he got a letter from his father, you know. He always said he felt like a disappointment. So I bashed the DMLE to make him feel better.” 

“And what did you say when Mike decided to go into the program?”

“That Mike loved Quidditch too much, and that he was only considering it because it’s what his father always wanted.” 

Rafael grimaced. “Well, that sounds a little harsh.”

“I didn’t mean to be harsh, though,” Sonny said frustratingly. “I guess I thought he needed to hear that.” 

“Sonny, just ask him what he needs from you. If he needs a reality check, if he needs you to support him, whatever it is, just don’t shut yourself down because you’re afraid of his reaction, please.”

“You’re right, yeah,” Sonny nodded, nosing Rafael’s hair. “I know. I’ll talk to him tonight.”

“If you need me, I’ll be making rounds down in the dungeons,” he offered, turning to press a kiss to Sonny’s lips. 

Sonny chuckled. “You trying to get Rita again?”

“Of course,” he smirked. “I promised Carmen I wouldn’t take House points from her, though. So that’s half my party crashed.”

Sonny laughed lightly, happy to let the subject of Mike and his future go. 

He had clearly handled that whole thing wrong, and now he was going to have to deal with the consequences of his words and actions. Hopefully Mike would understand that what he’d said as a 5th year did not reflect on what he wanted as a 7th year. Specially because he said them thinking it was what Mike wanted, and needed, to hear. 

But Rafael snuggled back into him, content, and Sonny let it go for now. 

“Hey, remember how you asked me if there were any Veelas in my bloodline?,” Sonny said after a moment of silence. Rafael nodded against his chest. “My father said there is, actually.”

“I knew it,” Rafael said, triumphant, and he looked over his shoulder to smile brilliantly at him. “There had to be a plausible explanation for your pretty face and charming smile.”

Sonny felt the blush coming up instantly. “You’re biased.”

Rafael lifted an eyebrow at him. “Do you want me to tell you what I heard the Ravenclaw 1st years say about you?”

“Do you want  _ me  _ to tell you what I heard the Hufflepuff 1st years say about  _ you _ ?,” he challenged. People liked to gossip about them, and Sonny had heard many rumors. But sometimes some things were true. 

“I already know I’m an annoying know it all, I don’t need 1st years to tell me that,” Rafael scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.

Sonny rolled his eyes. “That’s not—"

“So what did your father say?,” Rafael interrupted, and Sonny laughed.

“Nice deflection,” he teased. “No, hear me out. Two days ago I heard a couple of them discussing just how incredible you are. They said you’re a triple threat, smart, handsome, and powerful.”

Rafael frowned. “Powerful? How the hell did they gather that?”

“Probably has something to do with you going into Curse-Breaking because you excel even in the most delicate levels of magic,” Sonny said casually, half-teasing, but he completely meant it. 

“Now who’s biased,” he giggled. “Seriously, what did your father tell you?”

“Take the compliment,” Sonny whispered against his ear, pressing a kiss to the curve of his jaw. “Apparently, my great grandfather was half-Veela from his mother side.”

“Your great grandfather?,” Rafael jumped up, and Sonny immediately missed the contact. “Sonny, that means the gene is much stronger that I originally thought. That really isn’t that many generations ago.” 

Sonny shrugged at his boyfriend’s wide eyes. “He didn’t know too many details, only that my grandfather used to joke a lot about our family not being actually pureblooded because of that.” 

“You know they do tests at St. Mungo’s, right?”

“Well, I don’t  _ intend  _ to get tested,” Sonny frowned. “I’m probably like, what, 5% Veela?”

“Creature blood manifests differently from wizard blood, Sonny. Even if it is only 5%, which I’m pretty sure it’s more, you should know for sure,” Sonny could see in the way Rafael’s eyes kept unfocusing that he was mentally checking everything he’d read on the subject.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most endearing things Rafael did, and Sonny felt his heart grow twice its size. 

“Raf,” he said calmly. “My grandfather and my father have a stronger gene than me, and nothing out of the ordinary has ever happened to them. I’m not worried.” 

“Yeah, well, I’ll check the library anyway,” Rafael said, then moved back into Sonny’s arms.

“And I trust your research abilities,” Sonny said wholeheartedly, and smiled when Rafael started talking to himself about the magical history of creatures and bloodlines.

He relaxed into his spot, rested his head on the tree trunk again and closed his eyes, letting Rafael’s voice lure him into a well-deserved nap. 

* * *

“Calhoun,” Rafael called out, smirking, when he spotted Rita making her way down the stairs to the common room. “Do you know what time it is?”

Even from a fair distance, he heard Rita groan aloud. “Yes, Barba, I do. It’s time for you to stop stalking me, how about that?”

Rafael chuckled. “How was your date with Carmen?”

“Lovely, as always,” she said with a jut of her chin. “Too bad you’re out here pestering my House mates. It’s quite a nice warm night, you and your noodle boy would have enjoyed it.”

“Noodle boy?,” he frowned. “Please, Rita, Sonny’s a Quidditch Captain, he’s all muscles under his robes.”

Rita smirked, and Rafael rolled his eyes. She was always trying to bait him, and most times he managed to stay above it and not fall for it. But when it came to Sonny, he usually failed.

“How do you know that for sure?,” she continued, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Have you seen under his robes, then? Has he finally taken your V-card?”

“That’s none of your business, Calhoun,” he barked. “Now go back to your common room. I’d hate to break the promise I made to Carmen.” 

“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Rita laughed, walking past him. “Nighty night, Rafael.” 

Rafael bit into his tongue as he watched her walk away. Saying anything else would only give her more immunition, so he let her go, turned on his heels and made his way out of the dungeons. 

He had not, in fact, seen Sonny naked yet. He’d seen him shirtless a couple times during their summer break, and also in swimming trunks a handful of times. So Rafael knew that he wasn’t a  _ noodle _ , per se. Sonny was long, tall, lean, but there were toned muscles that shifted nicely under his fair skin.

His thighs were strong from flying brooms so much, and if Rafael paid close attention - which he did - he could definitely see the shadow of a 6-pack on his abdomen. Sonny was, all in all, a very attractive young man. Rafael had no complaints. 

Well, except for the V-card situation, maybe. 

Sonny and Rafael had talked about it briefly during Sonny’s stay with Rafael. Sonny blushed profusely through the short conversation, but together they decided not to rush into anything they weren’t comfortable with. 

Nevertheless, there was only so much Rafael could take, and when their heavy make out sessions ended in Sonny jumping away from Rafael, face red, stuttering an apology, he was ready to pull his hair out. 

Rafael was so engrossed in his internal frustration that he didn’t see the Ravenclaw 1st year making his way towards him until he almost walked over the boy. 

“Oh,” he exclaimed. “Mr. Burns, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. What are you doing out this time at night?”

The small boy stuttered, his eyes wide. “Headmistress Barth,” he spilled out. “She’s looking for you.”

Rafael frowned. “Where is she now?”

“Her office,” he mumbled, looking nervous. 

“Okay, I’ll go there right now,” Rafael said with a soft smile, and squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “Go to bed, okay? It’s late.” 

The boy nodded quietly and bolted back up to the tower, leaving a very confused Rafael behind. The Headmistress’ office was quite out of his way, but he marched there like a man on a mission. 

He whispered the password to the stone eagle that guarded the entrance, and it turned in on itself to slowly reveal the staircare. Rafael’s mind was already going a thousand miles an hour, trying to figure out why Barth would want to see him so late at night. 

Rafael wished with everything in him that it had nothing to do with students being attacked. He doubted he’d be able to work through the stress of something like that again. 

Regardless of it being the work of an irresponsible student, Rafael had known then that he was a target, and it was not lost in him that the curse that attacked him had been created to incapacitate Half-Bloods, to strip them of their magical core, to place them into a deep state of sleeping. 

Much like his father had tried to do with his mother.

They had run away all those years back, only for something else to catch up with him, right in the place he had always deemed the safest place on Earth, under the noses of very powerful wizards.

“Mr. Barba,” Headmistress Barth called with a gentle smile as soon as he reached the top step. The door was wide open, and he had a clear view of her grand office. “Thank you for coming.” 

“Not a problem, Headmistress,” he smiled, and spotted another boy in the room, leaning against a bookshelf by the corner. Rafael did not recognize him. “Is everything okay?”

“More than,” she stood up. “This is Mr. Alejandro Muñoz. He just arrived from Spain.”

Rafael turned to him and nodded. “Welcome to Hogwarts. I’m Rafael Barba.” 

The boy looked Rafael up and down slowly. “Pleased to meet you,” he said when their eyes met, pushing off the shelf.

“Mr. Muñoz was just sorted into Ravenclaw,” the Headmistress continued, indicating the Sorting Hat that was resting quietly on her desk. “So I asked you here to escort him to Ravenclaw tower for the night.” 

“Of course,” Rafael smiled at her. 

“I’d hoped you could help him find his classrooms and the Great Hall, too, Mr. Barba. After all, it’s quite a big castle.”

“Not to worry, Headmistress. I’ll show Mr. Muñoz around, make sure he won’t get lost,” he promised, nodding. “He’ll know Hogwarts like the back of his hand by Monday.”

“I knew I could count on you,” she said proudly. “Give him a warm Hogwarts welcome, Mr. Barba. That’ll be all. Have a good night, the both of you.” 

“Thank you, Headmistress,” Muñoz said lightly. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Rafael echoed, then gestured towards the door. “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Muñoz.”

Rafael left the Headmistress’ office with Muñoz on his toes, the two quietly making their way down the stairs. It was rare for Hogwarts to get exchange students, the last one had been four years ago, in Gryffindor. It would completely shake up Rafael’s schedule, having to escort Muñoz everywhere, but it was his duty, and he’d take to it proudly.

“So, what’s brought you here?,” Rafael asked conversationally once they reached the corridor. 

“My father,” he said passively. “He was offered a good position in your Ministry.” 

“Ah, I see. And you couldn’t have finished your last school year before following him?”

“Well, seeing that I plan to go into the Ministry as well after graduation, we agreed that it would probably make more sense for me to come with him,” Muñoz shrugged. “Get acquainted.” 

Rafael hummed, nodding. He wasn’t particularly fond of politics and the games of power that went into the Wizengamot. The chairs had been kept in the same families for centuries now, and he just didn’t see how they could ever evolve as a society if the same people with the same ideals kept hold of their government for so long.

“What’s the point of the Sorting Hat, exactly?,” Muñoz suddenly asked, hands behind his back. “The Headmistress explained it briefly, but I’m not sure I understand how it decided I’m in Ravenclaw.”

“The Sorting Hat magic allows it to look deep into your mind and make predictions based on your personality and personal aspirations. The Hogwarts founders were very clear about the type of people they wanted to come to Hogwarts, so they each took the traits they valued the most and applied them to each House. And each year, the House that gets the most points is rewarded.” 

Muñoz seemed to consider it for a moment. “Would you say promoting rivalry among students makes for a promising learning environment?”

Rafael paused, glancing at Alex. He looked curious, his gaze going up and down the hallways, taking it all in. Rafael wasn’t sure whether that was criticism or not, so he took it at face value and shrugged. 

“It’s a healthy type of competition, I’d say. And inter-house unity is very much encouraged. For example, my boyfriend is in Hufflepuff,” he smiled. “He’s Captain of their Quidditch team, so I always root for him during games, even when they’re playing Ravenclaw. And I’ve got a few good friends in Gryffindor and Slytherin, too.”

“So what exactly is the point of the division, then?”

“Building a sense of community. Bringing together like-minded people to build each other up. Besides, we spend so much time here, it’s good to have that feeling of ‘coming home’ at the end of the night. That’s what your House becomes with time, you know.” 

“I see. I suppose you’d know more than me,” Muñoz offered with a nod. “But I guess I’ll find out soon enough.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do we think Muñoz is gonna get up to in this? Is he gonna be good? 
> 
> Sonny and Mike finally talk next chapter, we'll see how that goes for once oop let me know what you think so far! See you tomorrow!!


	4. The Hufflepuff Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Mike have an unpleasant conversation, and Rafael has a shadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I used this fic to work through some of the drama and bs that me and my friends got up to as teenagers, you’d be right. 17 yo Kat was full of shit, yall lmao
> 
> Enjoy this slice of teenage feels!

On Friday night, Sonny approached Mike to talk to him about the Chaser position, and about his actual thoughts on the Auror program. The other boy was sitting by the high windows in the common room, a book in hand. There was no Prefect badge in sight, so Sonny guessed he had either already made his rounds, or he wasn’t going out tonight.

So, feeling a little awkward, Sonny went over and sat across from him. The common room was quite animated, people lounging around, playing chess, trading cards, sharing Every Flavor Beans. Sonny wondered for a moment if right now was a good moment to broach what was bound to be a controversial topic.

“No big date tonight?,” Mike asked conversationally when Sonny got comfortable in the armchair. 

“Nah,” he shook his head. “Raf’s out doing rounds. I might try and catch him before he goes up to bed, though.”

“You know, Sonny, I’m happy for you,” Mike said with an easy smile, closing his book. “Rafael’s a really good guy, you deserve that.”

“Thanks, man,” Sonny smiled back. “I really, really like him, you know. More and more everyday.”

Mike chuckled. “I can see that. So how were those weeks you spent with him during summer?,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “Did you two get down to business?”

Sonny immediately blushed. “No,” he mumbled. “We talked about it, but the time wasn’t right. I mean, it was either in his house with his grandma and mother right across the hallway, or at my place with my sisters all up in our business.”

“That’s tough,” he grimaced. “But hey, maybe you could put your name down for the Room of Requirement, uh? I think Gryffindors’ got the list.” 

“Yeah, maybe,” Sonny swallowed. “Let me talk to Rafael first. Make sure he’s comfortable.”

Truth was Sonny was absurdly nervous. What he felt for Rafael threatened to eat him alive on a daily basis, he was never as happy as he was with Rafael close to him, smiling at him. He was scared he was going to be bad at it, then it’d completely ruin their relationship.

He’d been reading up on the subject, and he wanted it to be extra special, but his nerves just got to him every damn time. Whenever their make out sessions got a little heavier and Rafael made that beautiful little noise in the back of his throat, Sonny jumped away. 

He felt like a man possessed, as if there were a beast roaring in his chest, shuddering and struggling to come forward at the smallest noise or brush of hand, so he always ended up putting a safe distance between them, afraid of what that intense pull meant.

It was driving him  _ insane _ .

“Yeah, but don’t wait too much,” Mike said. “You’ll end up driving yourself crazy.” 

Sonny chuckled at how well Mike knew him, then his smile turned into a frown when he remembered the real reason why he’d approached the other Hufflepuff.

“Hey, listen,” he started casually. “We’ve got an opening on the team. One of the Chasers left. I was thinking maybe we’d band together again? For our last year? What do you say?”

Mike frowned. “I’ve never played as Chaser.”

“Yeah, I know, but I thought you’d missed Quidditch enough to want to try it out,” Sonny offered lamely. 

“Sonny, I know you think I’m just my father’s pawn, but I meant it when I said I was going to dedicate myself to my NEWTs so I could go into the Aurors academy.” 

“No, I don’t think that,” he shook his head vehemently. “If that’s what you want, I definitely support you. I’m not offering you the spot as an out, I just miss playing with you.” 

“We can play anytime, Sonny. You just have to ask me, we can figure our schedules out and have a game for ourselves,” Mike offered mildly. “But I’m not going back on the team. I’m sorry.” 

Sonny nodded, looking down at his feet. He had hoped Mike would have said yes, for old time’s sake. But once again, adult responsibilities weighted heavily between them. 

“Okay. I get it,” Sonny sighed, leaning back into his seat, but not meeting Mike’s eyes. “I’ve been exchanging letters with your father this summer. About the program.”

“What?,” Mike’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because I’ve been thinking about taking the exam,” he said. 

“What?,” Mike said again, this time through gritted teeth. “So all this time you’ve been guilting me for choosing the Aurors program, what was that for, exactly?”

“Christ Mike, I wasn’t trying to  _ guilt  _ you,” Sonny hissed. “I thought that it was what you needed to hear then, because of your father’s letters.” 

“You thought I needed to hear that my father was nothing but a manipulator?,” he laughed humorlessly. “You thought I needed you to question my decisions?” 

Sonny ran a hand across his face. “I know I didn’t handle any of it right, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what you wanted me to do, you were always so upset about it, I thought I was being supportive.” 

Mike stood up then, not caring that his book fell with a  _ thud  _ on the floor. “You thought wrong.”

With that, Mike left, going up the stairs to the dormroom. Sonny thought about following him, to apologize again, to ask Mike what he wanted Sonny to do, to offer help, but when he heard the slamming of the door, he sagged into his chair. 

Sonny could remember, clear as day, the first time Mike’s father had hinted that he should consider joining the Aurors. Mike had been furious, and ripped the letter into a million pieces, then casted a  _ Incendio  _ on it for good measure. 

He had ranted and paced around the room for well over an hour, telling Sonny in very colorful words how much he did not care about the DMLE. Then, with time, Mike’s father seemed to slowly manage to wear him down, and Mike stopped fuming over the letters and seemed resigned to the fact that his future was set.

As his friend, Sonny had tried his very best to show him that, no, it wasn’t. Mike was a talented flier, a remarkable Keeper, and his grades were good enough to open any doors he wanted. He’d told Mike, in no half-words, that his father would continue to manipulate him into choosing the Aurors program over anything else. 

When Mike came to him with the decision made, Sonny thought it had Dodds Sr. all over it, so he said as much. And he kept saying it, thinking Mike would eventually see the light. 

Now Sonny knew just how wrong that choice had been. Mike didn’t need him to bash the Auror Department or his father, Mike needed him to say how  _ great  _ of an Auror he would make despite it all. Mike needed Sonny to support him, to be on his corner. And Sonny had failed him as a friend.

But not anymore. Sonny knew he just had to do better than that for Mike.

* * *

“You know, for a magical castle, there sure are a lot of stairs,” Muñoz scowled as they made their way down to the Great Wall for breakfast.

Rafael laughed. “I think the key is in the word  _ castle _ . And be careful, the stairs move. You’ll find yourself in hallways you’ve never seen before if you don’t mind the sneaky stairs.” 

“Well, doesn’t  _ that  _ sound ominous.”

“It can be,” he shrugged. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll show you everything after breakfast.” 

As he did every morning, Sonny was waiting for Rafael by the entrance. He smiled brilliantly when he spotted Rafael, making his way towards him in quick steps.

“Good morning,” Sonny greeted, and pecked him on the lips softly.

“Morning,” Rafael smiled. He turned to Muñoz with a hand on Sonny’s shoulder. “This is my boyfriend Sonny. This is Alejando Muñoz, he’s an exchange student from Spain. He was sorted into Ravenclaw last night.” 

“Oh, welcome to Hogwarts,” Sonny beamed, offering him a hand to shake.

Muñoz took it. “Nice to finally meet you. Rafael’s told me a lot about you.” 

“Only bad things, I’m sure,” he joked, then turned to kiss Rafael on the cheek.

Rafael huffed, rolling his eyes. “As if.” 

“I’ve been told you’re the Quidditch team Captain,” Muñoz said, considering Sonny. 

“Yeah, for Hufflepuff,” Sonny immediately perked up, and Rafael smiled. “You play?”

Muñoz shrugged, smirking coyly. “Occasionally.”

“I’ve heard Ravenclaw’s having tryouts on Monday. You should give it a chance! This year’s fight for the House Cup is gonna be the best one yet, I bet,” he said enthusiastically.

“I’ll consider it,” he nodded, then turned to Rafael. “Do you play?”

He snorted. “God, no. And you’ll only see me on that pitch for Hufflepuff games.”

“So supportive,” Sonny half-joked, taking Rafael’s hand as they walked into the Great Hall.

As always, Sonny sat with the Ravenclaws, filling his plate with pancakes as soon as he got comfortable in his seat. Rafael watched, amused, as he drowned his pancakes in syrup. 

“I talked to Mike,” Sonny told him after a couple bites.

Rafael’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at Hufflepuff table in search for Mike. He was sitting alone, hunched over his plate. His body language  _ screamed _ tension - and a bad night’s sleep.

“I take it it didn’t go very well?” 

Sonny sighed, shaking his head. “He’s really, really angry.” 

He told Rafael the whole story, almost acting out the discussion, hands flying in the air. For a moment, Rafael thought Sonny had forgotten about his food, but as soon as he reached the end of his reenactment, he attacked the pancakes again. 

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” it was Rafael’s turn to sigh. “I don’t mean to pour salt in your wound, but it doesn’t look good when you shut down his idea of going into the Auror department only to try it yourself.”

“I know,” Sonny groaned. “But I didn’t mean to do that, I swear, Rafael. I wasn’t trying to hurt him, or even turn him against his dad. I’m just stupid.” 

Beside Rafael, Muñoz snorted into his glass. He threw the boy a displeased look, then turned back to Sonny.

“You’re not stupid,” Rafael said, resting a hand on Sonny’s cheek. “I know you meant well, but you dropped the Quaffle on this one.” 

“Yeah, I want to make it up for him,” Sonny said eagerly. “I’ve had a couple ideas and I was wondering if you could help me?”

Rafael grimaced. “I’m sorry, Sonny. I promised Headmistress Barth I’d show Muñoz around Hogwarts today.” 

“Call me Alex,” he butted-in. 

Sonny frowned, but nodded. “Okay, I’ll figure it out. Maybe Nick can help me.” 

“I’m sure he’d love to,” he chuckled, then finally served himself some breakfast. 

Later, when Sonny went to the Gryffindor table to talk to Nick, Rafael followed him. He hadn’t been able to catch up with Olivia all week, and the Gryffindors had yet to be introduced to the new Ravenclaw hovering around him.

Not that Alex was too interested in inter-house unity, he seemed more than okay with hanging around the Ravenclaw common room, but it was Rafael’s duty to make him feel at home in Hogwarts, and him being acquainted with all Houses was part of the package. 

But as soon as Sonny stepped away with Nick for a moment, Rafael saw Olivia’s face turn into a deep scowl. 

“Is everything okay?,” he asked with a fair amount of trepidation. Olivia didn’t usually glare daggers at her best friend the way she was doing now. 

“Nick’s acting weird,” Olivia said curtly, still scowling at Nick’s back while he talked animatedly to Sonny.

Rafael immediately tensed. “Weird how? He’s a pureblood, right? Maybe he should go see Madam Warner, just in case.”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “I don't think his issue is medical. I just think he enjoys being an ass sometimes.”

“I can relate,” Alex said from behind Rafael, chuckling. 

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. “And who are you?”

Rafael sighed. “Olivia, this is Alex Muñoz. He just transferred in from Spain.” 

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she said without much feeling, turning back to look at Nick once again. “Maybe you can tell me why  _ he’s _ acting like a dick if you can relate to being an asshole.”

“Give me a couple days and I just might,” Alex said smugly, walking pass them to join Nick and Sonny.

Rafael saw Sonny’s brow furrow when he saw Alex approach, but as the friendly person he was, Sonny introduced him to Nick and included him in the conversation instantly.

“Have you talked to Nick about it?,” Rafael asked Olivia in an undertone.

“He says he’s not acting any differently,” she huffed. “I have half a mind to hex him.”

Rafael chuckled. “If there’s one thing I learned this week is that men never say what they mean, and never mean what they say. Good luck with trying to figure that one out.”

“I might just have to kill him before I do,” Olivia said gravely, but Rafael saw the corner of her lips twitch up. “Maybe I should talk to Carmen about this. After all,  _ men  _ tend to complicate things.”

“You wound me, Liv,” he joked. 

“You started it, oh wise Ravenclaw,” Olivia smirked. 

“It’s not my fault I have to try and placate Sonny through this fight with Mike.”

“It’s really that serious, then?,” she frowned. 

“It didn’t have to be, if only they sat down and actually said what they meant instead of trying to guess what the other one is saying,” Rafael rolled his eyes. “Neither mean any harm, but now it’s turned into a whole  _ thing _ .”

“I bet they’ll be all happy and Hufflepuff-y together again by Monday, though.”

“I’ll take that bet,” Rafael nodded. “Only because I want you to win it so this mess can be over.” 

Olivia smiled. “One galleon for the winner?”

“Deal,” he smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we’ll see an important conversation between Sonny and his head of house, Professor Ellis, and Rafael has been doing some important research. 
> 
> Let me know what you think of the situation between Mike and Sonny, and Muñoz’s ways lmao see you tomorrow!!!


	5. The Professor’s Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny has an important conversation with his Head of House, and Rafael makes some progress on his research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation between Rafael and Fin was honestly so much fun for me to write, so I hope you like it too!!
> 
> Enjoy!

Sonny was, once again, alone.

Rafael had been going all around the castle with the new student, Muñoz, and Sonny had barely seen him all weekend. He’d caught glimpses of him here and there, but he hadn’t even been able to sneak him a simple  _ hello _ before they disappeared somewhere else. 

There was something about the boy that made Sonny feel uncomfortable, but he wasn’t going to say anything. He knew Rafael took his duty as Head Boy quite seriously, and he didn’t want Rafael to get mad at him, too. He was already down a best friend, being down a boyfriend as well would just be too much.

Where 6th year had been mostly amazing, 7th year was turning out to be a complete and utter disaster. Sonny and Mike were fighting, Rafael was spending more time with Muñoz than with him, the Hufflepuff team had yet to take off, and Sonny had absolutely no idea what he was going to do after he left Hogwarts.

He really loved Quidditch, but no scout had paid him any mind - why would they, when he kept messing up? -, and Sonny was pretty sure Mike wanted him as far away from the Auror program as possible, and those were Sonny’s top choices. 

His Potions score wasn’t high enough for him to go into Healing, his family’s political pull wasn’t enough for him to source something inside the Wizengamot, and after his disastrous introduction to Apparition, he doubted he could make it into Curse-Breaking or the even Unspeakable team.

Nothing he did ever seemed like enough, and he was tired. There was a tightness under his skin, something sitting heavily inside his chest, a perpetual tension around his shoulders. He kept trying to shake it off, he tried to get some extra sleep, but nothing helped.

The one good thing he had to look forward to was the double date with Carmen and Rita, on Saturday. He just hoped Rafael wasn’t going to stand him up because he had something to do with Muñoz. That might just be too much for him.

Sonny couldn’t help but feel a little lost; like he was drifting. It felt like the year was running past him, leaving him behind to eat its dust. Everybody was moving on, moving forward, so sure of who they were and where they were going, while Sonny felt like he knew himself less by the day.

As he walked down the hallway towards the Hufflepuff common room, Sonny tried to decide whether or not to approach Mike again. He told himself that if Mike were in the common room when he walked in, he’d give it try, but if he weren’t, Sonny wasn’t going to go looking for him yet.

But before he even said the password to open the door, however, he saw Professor Ellis coming from the opposite side, towards him. 

“Mr. Carisi,” he greeted with a friendly smile. “Just who I was hoping to see. Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you in my office.”

Sonny blinked rapidly. “Is everything okay, Professor?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out, to be honest,” he started tentatively, a hand on Sonny’s shoulder stirring him away from the entrance. “I’ve noticed you seem a little down lately. How about we talk about that?”

Professor Ellis led Sonny to his office, and immediately offered him a jar of cookies and a cup of tea. Sonny said no to both, feeling like a little child as he took a seat across from his teacher. He liked Professor Ellis, admired him even, but he also felt like he was about to jump out of his skin.

“Tell me, Sonny,” he said calmly, settling into his chair like the perfect picture of patience. “What’s troubling you?”

Sonny cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “I’ve been having doubts about what career path to follow. I’m afraid my grades aren’t good enough to open that many doors, so I don’t know what to do.” 

He hummed. “Let’s see it, then,” Professor Ellis waved his hand and a cabinet flew open, a file shooting out of it straight into his waiting hand. 

Sonny shifted nervously on his seat when he saw his name written in thick cursive on the cover, and watched as his Head of House flipped through a few pages. Eventually Professor Ellis found what he was looking for, and hummed in consideration as his eyes ran over the page.

“These are your OWLs scores,” he turned the file so Sonny could see. He didn’t need to, though, he had the same piece of parchment in his trunk. “You’ve got an Outstanding in Potions, and Exceeds Expectations in everything else. You could go into whatever field you wish to, Sonny.”

“Except Healing,” he mumbled. That O in Potions still hurt. 

“Not if you get an EE in your NEWTs,” he said, then closed Sonny’s file with a snap and sent it flying back where it came from. “Which I’m sure you’re more than capable of accomplishing, so where’s that lack of confidence coming from?”

Sonny sagged into his seat, twisting his hands in his lap. “I’m just not sure which field I’m going to go into, where I’d be good.”

Professor Ellis tilted his head. “The last time we talked you mentioned you were interested in the Aurors program.”

He sighed. “Except Mike is pissed at me, and his father is the Head Auror, so that’s most likely not happening.”

“Have you talked to Auror Dodds?” 

“Yeah, we’ve been exchanging Owls the last couple weeks.”

“And what does he think?,” Professor Ellis leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk top.

“He says I have a lot of potential,” Sonny shrugged. “Gave me a list of books for me to read, too. He was… welcoming.”

“Then that’s all that matters,” he smiled lightly. “Good grades and a good first impressions will get you far, and once you’re in, it’s all on you to do a good job. Sonny, you’re a  _ great  _ student, you’re dedicated, and you’re a hard-worker. You’re going far, you just need to get out of your head.”

Sonny nodded along to the Professor’s words, trying to believe him. “And how do I do that?”

“You’re not a child anymore, you and your classmate are all close to turning 18, so if you want to figure out your adult life, you have to start acting like such,” Professor Ellis said firmly, but not unkindly. “Focus on what’s really important right now; you need to do well on your exams and cross that bridge with the Auror Department. Everything else will follow; the Quidditch House Cup, your friendship with Mike, your relationship with Mr. Barba. One step at a time, keep focused, and you’ll see that the answers will come to you.” 

“So you really think I should go into the DMLE?,” he asked, hopeful. “What about Quidditch?”

“What about Quidditch?,” the Professor returned the question mildly.

“I’m just not just I can make a career out of it. Or if I want to,” Sonny admitted. That was an idea he’d been struggling with - not wanting to abandon Quidditch, but unsure of whether he wanted to make a livelihood out of it. “Professional Quidditch involves a lot of travelling and tough training hours. I’m not sure I want to be away for too long. I’d rather have a routine I can settle into. I want to find an apartment so I can move in with Rafael, and he’s going into the Ministry too, so it just seems right.”

“There’s your answer, then,” he smiled, satisfied. “But that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing. There are amateur leagues you can look into as a hobby.”

Sonny had never considered amateur leagues, but suddenly it just felt like precisely the right answer. That way, he could keep playing and enjoying Quidditch without the stress and pressure of real competitions.

“I guess you’re right,” Sonny smiled. “Thank you for shining a light my way, Professor.”

“No need to thank me, Sonny,” Professor Ellis waved a dismissive hand. “Just don’t let these doubts eat at you. Come to me whenever you need to talk to someone, alright? And I’m sure you and Mike will be fine.”

“I hope so,” Sonny said wistfully, then stood up. “Thank you again, Professor. See you in class.”

“Take care, Sonny,” he smiled, and waved his wand for the door to close softly behind Sonny.

Stepping into the hallway again, Sonny found he felt much lighter. It felt good to be reminded of his potential and his hard work. He had studied his ass off during 5th year for his OWLs. He’d even delayed his plans to ask Rafael out, then, because they were both so stressed out and tense about taking the exam. 

In the end, the results had been even better than Sonny expected, and he was glad Professor Ellis had reminded him of it. 

Sonny was just about to reach the common room again when someone called his name from behind him. He frowned, convinced that the universe had something against him and the Hufflepuff dorm rooms that day.

He immediately spotted Silvia, and there was another Hufflepuff with her; a tall guy, taller than Sonny even, with dark hair and light eyes.

“Sonny, I’ve been looking for you!,” Silvia said eagerly, and immediately pulled the other boy forward by his sleeve. “This is Trevor Langan, he’s a 6th year like me. I was telling him about Hufflepuff trying to find a Chaser and he said he was interested!”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “Really? Have you ever played before?”

Trevor hesitated for a moment. “Only with friends and family, but I’d like to give it shot anyway, if you’ll have me. I’ve been too focused on school work and after my OWLs last year, it’d be great to have an extracurricular activity to focus on right now.” 

“Well, I’m not really at a position where I can pick and choose,” Sonny half-joked. “Interest’s been a little low this year. When do you have a free period?”

Silvia and Trevor shared a look, then smiled. “Right now,” Trevor said.

“Yeah? That’s awesome,” he beamed, suddenly very excited. “Let’s go, then! Off to the pitch, I want to see how you handle a broom.”

“Ew, Sonny,” Silvia pulled a face.

Sonny blushed lightly. “I didn’t mean it like that! Jesus!”

Trevor laughed. “You’ll see I handle brooms and balls just fine, but  _ only  _ when it comes to Quidditch, if you catch my drift,” he winked. 

“Perfectly,” Sonny said and laughed, too, following the other Hufflepuff towards the Quidditch pitch. 

He hoped with everything in him that Trevor was a good flyer. Given how tall he was, he might just be a great Chaser after all, and Sonny couldn’t help but feel like things were finally starting to look up again.

* * *

Rafael had a free period after lunch, and he was happy to leave Alex alone in the common room for the afternoon. He was on a mission, which consisted of finding their Care for Magical Creatures teacher and asking some questions.

He spotted Professor Tutuola just by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, feeding Hippogriffs. Rafael approached the scene cautiously as to not to scare the animals with his sudden presence, but the teacher spotted him before he came too close and raised a hand.

“Careful there, Mr. Barba,” he warned. “They’re not trained yet.”

Rafael froze on the spot, looking at the three half-eagle, half-horse creatures with his heart on his throat. They didn’t seem at all impressed by his proximity, thankfully, but Rafael did not have a death wish, so he stood as still as possible.

“Sorry, Professor,” he said, keeping his voice down. “I had some questions for you, but I can come back another time.”

“No need,” Professor Tutuola waved a hand, the same one which was holding a dead ferret. The Hippogriffs followed his hand movement with sharp eyes. “I’m almost done here. Ask away.”

Rafael swallowed, then took a tentative step back just in case. “What can you tell me about Veelas?”

“Ah, interesting creatures. There’s a lot to know about Veelas, and knowing you, I’m sure you’ve already scoured the library for all the information you could get,” he chuckled, then threw a ferret to one of the Hippogriffs. “What is it exactly that you want to know?”

Rafael hesitated. He wasn’t sure Sonny would know other people to know about his Veela bloodline.

Professor Tutuola seemed to consider him for a moment, then shook his head. “Is this about Mr. Carisi?” 

He startled. “How did you know?”

“All Hogwarts staff knows, boy,” he waved a hand again, and Rafael wished he’d drop the damn ferrets. “We have to know, in case students with any creature blood start showing signs of manifesting into their inheritance.” 

That made perfect sense, and Rafael should have known.  _ Hogwarts: A History _ explained that students with creature blood were welcome, but they were legally obligated to inform the school of their blood status before starting. He was pretty sure by now the school had a complete registry of the entire Carisi family.

“Alright,” Rafael nodded. “Then yes, this is about Sonny. He told me his great grandfather was half-Veela.” 

“I see,” Professor Tutuola fed another dead ferret to the Hippogriffs, then turned to look at him. “It’s hard to say without official tests, Mr. Barba. Especially because even when Veelas don’t manifest, they might still possess many traits.”

“Yeah, from what I’ve read, Sonny shows a few,” he started counting on his fingers as he went. “Fair skin, light eyes, almost  _ too  _ damn attractive for me to concentrate on anything else. Not to mention his  _ charm _ . He can charm people into pretty much anything.” 

“The physical traits could be purely genetics, after all aren’t all his sisters fair-skinned with blue eyes?” 

Rafael nodded, then looked down at the grass with a sheepish expression. “Yes, but… Maybe I’m biased, but Sonny’s different. It’s like he  _ glows _ .” 

Professor Tutuola snorted. “I’d say you are  _ horribly  _ biased, but I’ll indulge you for the sake of your research. Yes, Veelas do have a certain glow about them, and their charm is heavily associated with their allure. People find themselves wanting to suck up to Veelas to gain their affection, even if only on a physical level.” 

“I can tell you there are a couple handfuls of people interested in Sonny’s  _ affections,”  _ he scoffed, thinking of all the 1st years that literally swooned whenever Sonny walked past them. “But there’s something else I read, about bonds and mates.”

“That’s the most delicate part, and it really varies from case to case. Veelas are led by their hearts, and they seek a life-long bond with a suited mate. Some will lose their minds if they never find it, others find them but never realize it, and some can go from relationship to relationship without any real durable connection. Sometimes, there’s no need for a bond or a mate whatsoever.”

“How do we know, then?,” Rafael asked with a little trepidation.

“There are signs, but it isn’t set in stone, Mr. Barba,” Professor Tutuola said gravely, then dropped the last ferret, finally. He spelled his hands clean, and walked away from the Hippogriffs without a care in the world. “I don’t want you to leave here today thinking you’re not Mr. Carisi’s mate, or even that you  _ are _ . That’s not something to play with, it’s  _ very _ , very dangerous, extremely serious business.” 

Rafael swallowed hard. “I don’t want him to get hurt.” 

“Then just let me tell you this,” he looked Rafael dead in the eye. “Mr. Carisi is happy with you. That’s all a Veela needs, a companion who can make them happy. Hold on to that, Rafael.” 

“Thank you, Professor,” he couldn’t help but smile, but his questions weren’t over yet. “What are the signs of a manifesting Veela, then?”

“That depends. If we’re talking about Mr. Carisi and he’s found a suitable mate in you, you might find he’s more possessive, more concerned about your general well-being, he might want you close to him at all times. Generally, Veelas have this instinct to protect and an almost lethal fear of losing their mates, but it’s hard to tell without testing Mr. Carisi.”

“So this is all hypothetical?,” Rafael frowned. He didn’t like hypothesis, he needed facts. He couldn’t risk it, not with Sonny.

“You should treat it as such until you have concrete evidence that Mr. Carisi is coming into his inheritance,” the Professor said firmly. “From what I know, neither his father nor his grandfather did, so the odds of him manifesting are very low either way.”

“But  _ there is  _ a chance he might.”

Professor Tutuola sighed, then nodded. “As long as there’s creature blood mixed in with magic, there’s always a chance.”

With that in mind, Rafael marched his way back to the library. He needed to find anything and everything he could about manifesting Veelas and bonds. He needed to talk to Sonny, explain to him how serious this was. Maybe with a little persuasion, he could convince his boyfriend to get tested.

Much to his surprise, as Rafael made his way up from the Forbidden Forest to the castle, he saw Sonny coming from the Quidditch pitch with two other Hufflepuffs - one he recognized as Silvia, the team’s Keeper. 

Sonny had that look he always got after playing - his hair was windswept, his cheeks were pink, and he looked lighter, as if his feet hadn’t quite reached the ground just yet. He was laughing, open and freely, and Rafael was suddenly struck by how beautiful he was. His whole face lit up when he smiled, and Rafael was completely smitten.

Changing his direction slightly, he approached the group with a smile of his own. “Sonny, hey! I was looking for you,” he said when he was close enough to be heard, and Sonny looked surprised to see him.

“Raf,” he breathed, and picked up his step towards Rafael, pecking him on the lips tenderly. “Are you free from Muñoz now?”

Rafael couldn’t help but laugh a little. “At the moment, yes. I was making my way to the library, do you wanna come with me?”

Sonny’s eyes twinkled, and he beamed. “Yeah, yeah. Let me just introduce you to Hufflepuff’s new Chaser.” 

Sonny stepped aside for Rafael to see the other boy. He was frighteningly tall, but looked like an all around friendly Hufflepuff. Rafael offered him a hand to shake.

“Welcome to the team,” he said with a smile. “You’re in very capable hands.” 

“Thanks,” the other boy chuckled. “I’m Trevor Langan, nice to meet you.”

“Rafael Barba. You, too,” pleasantries over, he turned to Sonny again, anticipation getting the best of him. “Are you ready?”

“You bet,” Sonny wrapped an arm around Rafael’s waist tightly, and he was certain they weren’t actually going to make it to the library. “I’ll catch you two later in the common room, okay? We can talk about some new tactics.”

“Alright, Captain,” Silvia waved at them, then walked back up to the castle, Trevor following her.

Less than two minutes later, Rafael found himself being pushed into the alcove right behind the broomshed, and then Sonny’s lips were on his. For a while, Rafael let himself fall in the moment and not worry about the future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonny thinks things are looking up but unfortunately they are not oop next chapter there’s the double date with Rita and Carmen and Sonny faints for the first time 
> 
> Let me know what you think! Is Sonny gonna manifest or not?? 
> 
> See you on monday!!


	6. The Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael go on a double date with Rita and Carmen, but the day doesn't end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, the double date scene was really hard for me to write, and I have to thank Chey for brainstorming with me and helping me figure it out! I hope yall enjoy the nonstop bantering lmao

Sonny and Rita were out in the courtyard, waiting for their Ravenclaw significant others to come down the tower to meet them. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and Sonny was surprised to see Rita step out of the castle in a mint green summer dress and her hair flowing down her back. 

“You look beautiful,” Sonny said with a friendly smile.

“I know,” was Rita’s cocky reply, and she winked at him. 

Sonny himself was only in light blue jeans and a white V-neck shirt, and he was suddenly feeling underdressed. He knew Rafael would probably come out looking like he’d just stepped out of a runway, so Sonny should have planned this better. 

He looked down at himself, trying to figure out if he could improve his appearance with a spell, but Rita chuckled beside him and shook her head.

“Don’t bother,” she said, but not unkindly. “Rafael’s going to drool all over you as it is.” 

Sonny blushed slightly. “But he’s always so well dressed.”

Rita gave him a long, assessing look. “You don’t know how you look, do you?”

He frowned, looking down at himself again, trying to see what Rita was seeing. The jeans were flattering enough, but there was nothing special about a white shirt. Maybe he could spell it into a different color, or with some sort of pattern.

He wondered if Rafael would like it if he turned it blue and spelled an eagle on it; maybe that would make him laugh, so Sonny took out his wand to do just that, but the doors opened and Rafael and Carmen stepped out before he could cast any spell. 

Sonny immediately choked, once again being thrown for a loop at how gorgeous Rafael was. He was wearing jeans too, but his were a much darker blue, and he paired it with an untucked button-up shirt which had a blue and pink flower pattern. He was also wearing sunglasses, and Sonny could spot the gleam of a gold chain around his neck.

Rafael always looked great, but seeing him looking so stylish in casual clothes made something inside Sonny stir animalistically. He felt a sudden need to pull Rafael into his arms, to praise him, to snuggle into his neck and hold him tight.

He swallowed hard as Rafael walked up to him, smiling. Sonny’s hands shook slightly, as if anticipating the moment Rafael would touch him. 

“Hi,” Rafael said softly, walking straight into Sonny’s arms and pecking him lightly on the lips. “You look gorgeous.” 

Sonny stuttered briefly, his hands circling around Rafael’s waist and grabbing the fabric of his shirt tighter than necessary. 

“Just a basic shirt,” Sonny mumbled, almost to himself, but then Rafael placed a discreet kiss to the base of his neck and he shuddered. 

“This type of collar is very  _ convenient _ ,” Rafael whispered for only Sonny to hear, smirking. “I intend to take full advantage of it later.” 

“Yes,” he hissed, tightening his hold on Rafael. Suddenly he was  _ very  _ grateful for the choice he’d made. 

“Lover boys,” Rita called, amused. “We have reservations to get to.” 

Rafael smiled brightly at Sonny, took his hand, and together they made their way to Hogsmeade.

* * *

Rafael was suddenly very aware of how much Sonny was touching him. They held hands all the way from the castle down to Hogsmeade, and when they sat down Sonny laced an arm around Rafael’s waist and kept him pressed to his side. Even once they got served a butterbeer, Sonny chose to drink it with his left hand instead of taking his arm away.

He didn’t mind Sonny’s touches, he really didn’t. In fact, he was open to them, and leaned against his boyfriend’s side happily. He definitely wanted Sonny close to him, but Professor Tutuola’s words kept coming back to him.

_ “You might find he’s more possessive, more concerned about your general well-being, he might want you close to him at all times _ ,” the professor had said, and Rafael was trying to figure out if Sonny was, in fact, touching him more than usual. It was hard considering the Hufflepuff was always a little extra on the PDA.

“So Carisi,” Rita started, leaning closer to Carmen. “Are you really going into Quidditch?”

Sonny shook his head, setting his glass back down. “No, I think I’m going into the Aurors Academy.”

Rita smirked knowingly at him, then shot a teasing look at Rafael. “I’m sure Rafael’s very happy about that,” she snickered. “I guess we’ll all see each other around the Ministry, then.”

Carmen sighed. “It feels like everyone’s going into the Ministry but me.”

“And Olivia,” Rafael pointed out with an arch of his eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, Carmen,” Sonny said in a gleeful tone. “Aurors need Healers, you know. I’m sure you and I will see each other plenty of times.”

Rafael turned to look at him with what he was sure was a very deep, unimpressed scowl. “Why, are you planning on getting yourself hurt a lot?” 

Sonny shifted, looking sheepish for a second before he winked at Carmen in a conspiring manner. “Of course not, Raf. It’s just for checkups and stuff.”

Carmen laughed lightly. “And I’ll be happy to see you, just as long as you promise me to keep an eye on this one,” she said, pointing at Rafael.

Rafael grunt. “Don’t start.”

“What do you mean?,” Sonny asked, intrigued.

“Someone has to make sure he’s eating proper meals instead of chocolate and having a full night of sleep instead of succumbing to exhaustion on top of his books,” she said, gaze sharp.

Beside her, Rita chuckled. “Truly living a wild life, uh?”

“Yeah, that’s funny,” he pulled a face at Rita. “I hope you enjoy having every single minute of your relationship set on a timer when Miss Thing over here starts studying for her finals.”

“Hey,” Carmen frowned. “I’m just organized, what’s the problem with that?”

“Guys,” Sonny started placantanly. “I don’t think the goal with this double date was for us to start fighting.”

“We’re not fighting,” Carmen said, but relaxed back into her seat with a sigh. “But you’re right. The point was for us to get to know each other better. So Sonny, tell us something about yourself.”

“Uh,” Sonny blinked. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

Rafael couldn’t help but laugh at that. Sonny really was an open book, and they’d all been going to the same school for six years now, there was little they didn’t know. 

“Here’s something: Sonny is part Veela, from his father’s side,” Rafael said. As he expected, Carmen’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Really? That is fascinating,” she gasped. “Just the other day I was reading an article about how the Department of Magical Beings is implementing new laws to protect Veelas and their mates.”

Rafael cocked his head, interested. That was something he definitely needed to look into.

Sonny perked up. “Like how?”

“Apparently, if a Veela goes feral while trying to protect their mates from imminent danger, there’s very little that can be held against them, and now they’re trying to pass a law that’ll ensure a trial for every person who tries to hurt a Veela or their mate.”

Rita frowned. “That sounds barbaric. So they’ll get their asses beat by a Veela  _ and  _ be put through trial?” 

“You don’t understand,” Rafael started. “It’s a very specific frame of mind for Veelas. Firstly, they can’t control it. Secondly, they’re acting completely on instinct, no rationale. Thirdly, it’s self-defense.” 

“Tell that to the poor soul who crosses a Veela,” Rita scoffed, shaking her head. 

“I think you mean  _ stupid  _ soul,” Rafael said, sipping his drink. “It’s the same as messing with a Werewolf. You  _ know  _ you’ll get attacked, so why risk it? You think you can get away with endangering Veelas because they’re what, prettier? It’s stupid.”

“Werewolves are a whole other thing, too,” Carmen said. “Everybody knows you shouldn’t go near a werewolf on a full moon, we learn that third year of school, and yet people still want to be brave and challenge packs of wolves.”

“Stupid,” Rafael mumbled.

“And Vampires,” Sonny added. “People still go into Vampire covens on purpose, as if they’re toys to play with. Christ, just leave people alone.” 

Carmen nodded. “Especially creatures. They can’t control their instincts, but when their human minds kick back in, where does that leave them?”

A heavy silence fell around the table, and Rafael saw Sonny fidget uncomfortably beside him. Thankfully, Rita’s sharp tongue was ready. 

“It’s like Gryffindors,” she said, chuckling. “Irrational beasts, all of them. I can’t believe how many classes I have to share with Amaro and Benson, it’s absurd.”

Okay, so maybe not  _ thankfully _ .

“Rita, did really you just use our Creatures-rights conversation as an opening to throw in an insult against Gryffindors?,” Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “That was weak.”

“I thought my timing was more than adequate,” she scoffed.

“I think that’s just your unique Slytherin reasoning speaking,” Rafael smirked.

“Now  _ that _ was a well-timed insult,” Sonny said, giddy. “I thought you liked Nick and Olivia, though. You’re always with them between classes.”

Rita shrugged. “Olivia isn’t too bad. For a Gryffindor.”

“Was that a well-timed compliment?,” Rafael mocked, and Sonny laughed. 

Rita rolled her eyes, ignoring them. “Amaro’s a hard pass. I swear he’s the reincarnation of Godric Gryffindor himself.”

Carmen hummed. “That would be interesting.”

Rita chuckled. “You’re already thinking about checking his bloodline, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” she smiled. “He’s a pureblood, you know all purebloods are somehow related.” 

Sonny gasped. “Are  _ we  _ related?”

Carmen threw him a look. “I doubt it,” she said, and Rafael laughed loudly. “You and Rita might be, though.”

“Cool!,” he said at the same time that Rita grunted. “We should look into that.” 

“I don’t think we should.” 

Sonny cooed. “Ah, don’t be like that, Cousin Rita.”

“I’ll hex him,” Rita told Rafael in warning. 

Rafael smirked. “I’d like to see you try.” 

“Better not,” Carmen interrupted and picked up the menu. “Let’s order!”

Even as they did, Sonny was still beaming at Rita as she scowled at him. All in all, Rafael would say it was a successful date.

* * *

Sonny had seemed eager to say goodbye to Carmen and Rita once their date was over, and Rafael found out why when his boyfriend dragged him to their spot by the apple tree and proceeded to ravish his mouth before Rafael’s back even hit the tree bark fully. 

Rafael’s toes curled inside his shoes as Sonny grabbed and pulled at him like he couldn’t get enough of him, drinking in his moans and groans with an unmatchable thirst. They stayed like that for a long time, the kiss never slowing down, only growing deeper and wetter as Sonny took charge of Rafael’s whole being.

It was hot, and Rafael even forgot they were out in public, on school ground, in broad daylight, three seconds away from humping each other against a tree. But Sonny was intoxicating, and there was a  _ possessive _ quality to his touches now, to the way he coaxed Rafael’s tongue to wrap around his, Rafael’s hands going into his hair, grabbing and pulling at the blond strands with urgency.

It was only when Sonny let out an animalistic growl from deep within his chest that Rafael broke the kiss to look at him. They were both panting, lips red and wet and swollen, but Sonny looked  _ crazed _ . 

“I think we should slow down a little,” Rafael said, breathless.

Sonny blinked, and the fog behind his eyes seemed to dissipate. “Yeah, yeah. You okay?”

“Never better,” he smiled reassuringly. “Are you?”

“Yeah,” Sonny nodded, but he didn’t look very confident. “Great.”

Without saying anything else, they sat down on the grass, their backs against the tree. Rafael shifted until he could lean against Sonny, his head on Sonny’s shoulder. The other boy rearranged his position so he could circle an arm around Rafael’s back, and kissed the top of his head when they settled again.

A few minutes later, when they seemed to be able to catch their breaths, Sonny broke the silence. 

“It sounded nice, didn’t it? What Rita said about all of us being in the Ministry?”

“It did,” Rafael smiled. “And from what I’ve read, Aurors and Curse-Breakers work together very often. Who knows, we might even be partnered up on a case. I like the idea of the two of us working together.”

Rafael knew, without even looking, that Sonny was beaming. “Me, too. And I was thinking, since we’ll be working at the same place, we could look for apartments downtown, close to the Ministry,” he said, and Rafael lifted his head to look at him. “What do you say? After we finish school, us living together?”

The Hufflepuff was glowing, eyes bright, lips still a dark pink, a blush high on his cheeks. He was just so  _ beautiful _ something inside Rafael ached to make him happy, but he knew his next words would wipe off the glee in Sonny’s expression pretty quickly. 

“Sonny, that sounds really lovely,” he started tentatively. “But with my grandmother’s hospital bills and her going into a care-home, I need to support my mother in some way. I don’t think I can afford an apartment, even if we split it.”

Just like Rafael predicted, the happy expression melted away and left behind a soft frown and the beginnings of a pout. “I understand. Yeah,” Sonny nodded. “Of course, I should have thought about that.”

“Maybe when we both get permanent jobs with stable salaries, we could look into that,” Rafael tried, smiling.

Sonny tried smiling back, but it didn’t look genuine when Rafael could see the disappointment written all over his face. “Good thing one of us is smart and rational in this relationship, right? I don’t know what I was thinking.”

The other boy pulled his arm away and stood up, brushing his hands over his pants to try and get rid of grass stains on his jeans.

“Sonny, wait. Where are you going? You’re upset with me?,” Rafael frowned. “That’s not fair.”

Sonny sighed. “I’m not, I swear. I’m not upset with you. I just wish something would work out for once.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at him, then stood up too. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his boyfriend. “I’m sorry that my grandmother’s health is such an imposition for you.”

Sonny’s eyes widened, and he raised his hands in a placating gesture. “That’s not what I’m saying--”

“It’s not? Spare me, Sonny,” he spat. “I’m not going to apologize for choosing to help my mother instead of going off to la la land with you.”

“La la land? What?,” Sonny dropped his hands. “Is it really such a crime that I want to live with my boyfriend?”

“Did it ever cross your mind to consider what _ I _ might want? That my family needs me more than you need to  _ live with your boyfriend _ ?,” Rafael kept his voice levelled, but he knew every word was dripping with anger and hurt.

“Why are you attacking me? Jesus Christ, forget I said anything!,” he threw his hand up in a frustrated gesture, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to be with you.”

Rafael scoffed, turning his back to Sonny. “Yeah, don’t worry about that,” he said, final, and started on his way back to the castle.

“What are you saying? Rafael, wait, what does that mean?” Sonny called, and his voice sounded just on the edge of desperate. “You can’t just go, we have to talk about this.”

“I think you’ve said enough,” he spat over his shoulder, and picked up his pace.

“No, wait. Please. Where are you going? Rafael, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-- Rafael!” 

Rafael marched away, resolute. Sonny kept calling his name, but he ignored it and focused on the heavy sound of his feet pounding against the grass as he made his way back to the castle. Soon enough, he couldn’t hear Sonny’s calls anymore.

The halls were empty once Rafael reached the castle, and his steps slowed down. He was panting mildly, his heart beating so hard in his chest he could feel it in his lungs. He had never had fights with Sonny, they had always been great at compromising or coming to an agreement; but then again, a topic as serious as  _ moving in together _ had never been on the table.

Rafael remembered what his mother had said to him on the morning of September 1st, before they left for the train station. Lucia had said that everything about 7th year felt  _ final _ , like it was all make or break, but she had guaranteed that it wasn’t. 

He was having a hard time wrapping his head around that, considering that every single decision he made felt like it was going to cost him his future in some way. And right now, as he paused before he reached the stairs to go up to Ravenclaw tower, the decision to turn his back on Sonny suddenly felt like it was going to cost him his relationship.

He shook his head and cursed under his breath, turning around and making the way back where he’d come from. This wasn’t the right,  _ mature _ way to deal with this. Sonny didn’t have one single ill-meaning bone in his body, Rafael should know better than to dismiss his wishes as something selfish or self-centered.

Because, come to think of it, Rafael leaving his mother’s house had its pros, too. 

And as he left the castle again, he couldn’t deny that not living under Lucia’s roof meant less expenses and more space for her - and his grandmother, if she stayed home. Living with Sonny meant he’d split bills with him, and therefore still be able to help Lucia a little. He could pick up a couple of his grandmother’s potions himself instead of it being all on Lucia.

Rafael felt determined as he approached the spot they were sharing before the explosion. He and Sonny were going to sit down and discuss this like the adults they were. Rafael had no idea how much a junior Auror made, but if it happened to be around what a training Curse-Breaker made, they could probably afford a one-bedroom apartment in a wizarding village like Godric’s Hollow. 

He was going to have to apologize first, of course. But he knew Sonny, he knew he’d listen to him and let him explain why the idea of being away from home freaked him out so much, and so fast. The boy was too much of a Hufflepuff sometimes, and Rafael loved him for it.

Despite his guilt, suddenly the idea of living with Sonny felt like a dream, and Rafael was confident they could work something out. Or at least he did, until he found the other boy lying unconscious where he’d left him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOP this is when things start to go down for our boys, IT'S ALL HAPPENING and I'm excited for yall to see it haha
> 
> There'll be a chapter up every day this week, up until Saturday with the epilogue -- which I've still have to finish, so let me know what yall would like see there and I might be able to deliver!! 
> 
> Let me know what you think so far and what you expect will happen next chapter!! MWAH See you tomorrow <3


	7. The First Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sonny's first fainting episode, Rafael is worried about what will happen next. Meanwhile, Muñoz plays a dangerous game, and Mike and Sonny finally talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's weird that we're approaching the end of this story already, but I hope you're enjoying it so far!

When Sonny woke up, he felt jittery and uncomfortable, but once he blinked his eyes open and caught sight of Rafael sitting by the end of his bed, everything felt alright again. He smiled at his boyfriend as the other boy turned the page of the book he was reading, then settled his hand on Sonny’s leg, caressing it seemingly absent-minded.

It took only a couple seconds for Sonny to process that he was not in his dorm room, but in the infirmary. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened. 

He could remember going on a double date with Rita and Carmen, then coming back and making out with Rafael against a tree. Sonny felt a heat burn inside his chest at the memory, and shuddered slightly. 

Rafael looked up at him then, and gasped softly once he realized Sonny was awake. He was so  _ adorable _ , and the Hufflepuff couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Hey, you’re finally up,” he said softly. “How do you feel?”

“Great,” Sonny croaked, sitting up slightly. Rafael rushed to his side, dropping his book on the bed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Rafael smiled, but he looked very guilty. “I’m sorry, Sonny, I shouldn’t have turned my back on you, I know it was very childish of me.”

Sonny frowned, suddenly remembering the hopelessness he felt when Rafael started to walk away from him. He remembered the dread that seeped into his mind when he thought Rafael was breaking up with him. He remembered the cold that surrounded him, and then the world went white. 

“It’s not your fault,” Sonny reassured him, reaching for his hand. “You were right, I was being insensitive.”

“Sonny, I know you don’t have a  _ single  _ ill-meaning bone in your body,” he chuckled, brushing Sonny’s hair away from his eyes with a tender touch. “I know what you meant, about wanting something to work. And I’m happy you want me to move in with you.”

“I do, but I should have considered what you might want, too,” he sniffed. “I should have asked you.”

“But you did,” Rafael shook his head. “I know I didn’t really give you a chance to talk, but you did ask me what I thought about the idea of us living together. And you know what, I think we could figure something out.”

Sonny felt relief flood his entire being, and something in his chest seemed to finally untie itself. He smiled. “Really? Are you sure? It’s not just because I fainted?”

Rafael laughed. “No, it’s not because you fainted, although that was very dramatic of you. I was already coming back to tell you we should talk about it.”

“God, Raf, I’m so glad,” he beamed, squeezing Rafael’s hand. “What happened, though?”

Sonny saw Rafael’s soft expression turn serious again, and frowned.

“Madam Warner said there was no sign of anything wrong. Your vitals look normal, your magic is stable, you’re in perfect health.”

“But?,” Sonny pressed.

Rafael shifted, leaning closer to him. “Sonny, how did it feel, before you fainted?”

“Like death,” he said, frown deepening. “I was… scared, it felt like something inside me was collapsing. How’s that normal?”

The Ravenclaw swallowed hard, and closed his eyes for a second. “Did you feel like that because of me?”

“I thought you were breaking up with me,” Sonny whispered.

“I wasn’t,” Rafael shook his head urgently. “I was angry, I just needed some space, but I had no reason to break up with you. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault.”

“I think it is,” he swallowed again. “Listen, remember what we talked about your Veela blood?,” Rafael asked, tentatively, and Sonny nodded. “I think you’re about to manifest into your inheritance.” 

Sonny started to deny it, but Rafael interrupted him. “Think about it, Sonny. Your need to always touch me, the way you worry, the way you sometimes look like you’ve gone into a trance. It’s happening more regularly, every time we kiss, you just get this  _ look _ in your eyes…”

He grimaced. “What look?”

“Like you’re about to eat me alive,” Rafael whispered. 

Sonny let his head fall back into his pillow and closed his eyes. He’d try to hide it, the animal he feels like is trying to jump out of his chest every time Rafael comes near, but it had become more difficult with time. He’s been walking around like he might snap at any time, and he’s scared of what might happen if he does.

“Sonny, I trust you,” Rafael continued. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me, but I need you to think about this, okay? This is serious. We should talk to Professor Tutuola, he’ll know what to do.”

Sniffing loudly, Sonny nodded in agreement. As  _ something _ curled in his chest again, Sonny squeezed his eyes shut and asked, begged,  _ please, please, don’t hurt Rafael. _

* * *

Rafael wouldn’t normally be caught dead on the Quidditch stands during training sessions, especially not when he had so much to study, but yet, there he was, half his attention on the team’s Captain, half his attention on his Potions textbook. 

Ever since Sonny’s fainting episode, Rafael had kept a closer eye on him. After he was released from the infirmary, Rafael had walked with him to the Hufflepuff common room, kissed him goodbye, then went to see Professor Tutuola again. 

He told the Care for Magical Creatures Professor everything that happened, and argued for the evidence that this might mean Sonny was on the verge of manifesting, but the professor brushed it off and told him not to worry about it. 

However, he also said he’d talk to the Headmistress about it, which, as far as Rafael was concerned, could only mean that it  _ was _ something to worry about.

After that, Rafael had promptly relieved himself of Muñoz-duty, and now the new guy was in the hands of his class partners. He hadn’t seemed too bothered, but Rafael was surprised to see him join him on the Ravenclaw stands half an hour after he arrived. 

“Ravenclaw isn’t even playing today,” Rafael had pointed out, but he only knew that because that was the first thing Sonny had said when he saw Rafael come in. 

While Sonny had said it with the biggest smile Rafael had ever seen, Rafael said it with a frown as Muñoz took a seat beside him. 

Muñoz had shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, this house team thing doesn’t make any sense to me anyway. At least your boyfriend’s good.”

“I know,” Rafael said as if it were obvious, and looked back to the pitch to see Sonny watching him. He waved, and smiled when Sonny waved back then did a little twirl in the air. “Why won’t you play for Ravenclaw, then, since you like it so much?”

Muñoz’s reply was, once again, a shrug, and Rafael rolled his eyes before going back to his textbook. 

“Remember that day I told you I’d figure out what was going on between your friends Benson and Amaro?,” Muñoz asked, looking all smug, but Rafael did nothing but stare ahead. “I figured it out.”

Rafael looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “And what, exactly, could possibly be going on?”

“Amaro is in love with Benson,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“He’s not,” Rafael scoffed.

“He definitely is, he told me himself. He also said he won’t tell Benson because it would ruin their friendship.”

Rafael shook his head. “Why would Nick tell you any of this?” 

“We bonded,” Muñoz mocked. “Over a couple drinks, he got a loose tongue.”

“You used something on him,” he narrowed his eyes. “You better pray he never finds out or he’ll rip your face off with his bare hands.”

Muñoz laughed. “I’d like to see him try to touch me. You should really find better friends, Rafael.”

“Shut up,” he spat, then went back to ignoring the other boy.

“I heard your Captain over there is a Veela,” Muñoz said suddenly, minutes later, when Rafael was just two pages away from finishing the last chapter he had to read. 

Rafael froze, shoulders tensing, and he looked up at Sonny to find him, once again, watching him. He swallowed hard, and frowned when a bludger went right over Sonny’s head and he didn’t even seem to notice. 

“Where did you hear that?,” he asked, trying not to sound too irritated. 

“You’re not as discreet as you think you are,” Muñoz smirked at him, and Rafael scowled.

“What, you’ve been watching me?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Muñoz shrugged again,  _ god _ , Rafael wanted to hex him. “So, it’s true then?”

“No, he’s not a Veela,” Rafael said firmly. “He’s a Veela  _ descendant.  _ There hasn’t been a Veela manifestation in his family for decades.”

Muñoz hummed, and Rafael hated how pleased he sounded. “Is that why you’ve been researching Veela mating rituals, then?”

Rage filled Rafael so fast he was surprised he didn’t just start spitting fire right then and there. Muñoz laughed, and it sounded so  _ cruel _ it made him want to challenge this boy to a duel. Rafael wasn’t great at dueling, but he’d take the risk for the chance of cursing the smirk right off of Muñoz’s face.

“How dare you?,” Rafael said through gritted-teeth. “You’ve been stalking me.”

“We share a dorm, Rafael,” he laughed. “ _ Nothing _ you do is a secret.”

“Perhaps one thing you should know about the Hogwarts student body is that we don’t go around  _ snooping  _ in our roommates’ things. Maybe they didn’t teach you _ common decency _ at your little school in Spain, but you could be suspended for that here,” Rafael spat, twisting his book in his hands viciously only so he wouldn’t reach for his wand.

Muñoz seemed to ignore everything Rafael had said, because next thing he knew, the boy had wrapped an arm around Rafael’s shoulders and pulled him closer. The book Rafael was holding fell, and instead he grabbed Muñoz’s arm and twisted his robe, trying to push him away.

“I’ve heard Veelas are  _ so sensitive  _ when it comes to their mates,” Muñoz said, laughing. “How about an experiment? How do you think your boyfriend would react to seeing us like this, uh?”

Rafael pushed him harder. “Let go of me, Muñoz. This isn’t a joke, you have no idea what you’re doing.” 

“What, I thought you said Carisi’s  _ not a Veela _ ,” he tightened his hold. “Come on, wave at him, he’s watching us.”

Rafael looked over to see that Sonny was really watching them, seemingly frozen in the air. As Muñoz was distracted waving at Sonny, Rafael managed to get enough leverage to push at the other boy’s chest with both his hands and stand up. He turned back to signal to Sonny that it was all okay, for him to keep playing, but Sonny swayed dangerously on his broom and started to lose height. 

Rafael was too far to see it, but Sonny’s lips molded around his name as his eyes rolled back into his head, and then he was falling, and falling, and falling, his broom as limp as his body, incapable of holding him.

Rafael had never felt panic like that before as he watched Sonny cut the distance between himself and the hard ground beneath him dangerously fast. His wand was in his hand in the blink of an eye, and his magic was thrumming through him in such a wild flow that for a second he thought it’d fail him.

Instead, he felt it burst out of him the moment he pointed his wand at Sonny and yelled so loud his throat hurt. “ _ Arresto momentum _ ,” he casted, and Sonny started slowing down enough for Trevor to catch him and for Silvia to throw a cushioning charm below them as Trevor’s broom tipped with the sudden added weight and threw both boys off of it.

“Get Madam Warner,” Rafael yelled at Muñoz, who sat there looking about as shocked as Rafael felt, and then he was running towards the pitch.

* * *

Sonny woke up again with a loud grunt, sitting up as soon as he regained consciousness. He could feel a roaring inside himself, something consuming him from the inside out, an anger that had him rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers, ready for a fight.

“Hey, hey, easy there,” he heard Rafael say, a hand on his chest, and a cold vial was suddenly placed on his lips. “Here, drink this.”

Sonny let Rafael feed him whatever potion it was, but he started growling again as soon as he swallowed. “If Muñoz ever comes near you again I’ll snap his neck, Rafael, I swear I will, I don’t even care if they expel me, I won’t even think twice--”

“Sonny, Sonny, shush,” Rafael shook his head. “You’re not going to snap anyone’s neck, this isn’t you speaking, it’s the Veela, okay? You’re not a violent person.”

“Maybe I am. You’re always saying the Veela is as much a part of me as the wizard.”

“Yeah? So are you telling me you’d kill Muñoz and just go on with your life, no guilt or remorse?”

Sonny blinked at Rafael, then let his head fall on his hands. “God, what’s happening to me? I just fell off a broom because I thought he was…,” he looked up again, pure agony in his expression. “I still want to fight him, Rafael.”

Rafael rested a hand on Sonny’s cheek and leaned in, kissing him so softly Sonny could have cried. He held onto Rafael’s robes, twisting his fists into the thick fabric and pulling him closer, between his legs. 

As their lips slid against each other’s and he felt Rafael’s tongue meet his, Sonny started to feel himself calming down. A warmth flooded him, a sense of peace and comfort, and he finally sighed in relief as he felt Rafael’s arms wrap around his shoulders. 

Sonny whined when Rafael pulled away, and the other boy chuckled, resting their foreheads together.

“Raf,” he whispered between them. “Am I going crazy?”

“No,” Rafael said firmly, and pecked him on the lips again. “You’re fine.” 

Sonny heard steps approaching and thought it might be either Professor Tutuola or Madam Warner, so he let go of Rafael and looked up, but was surprised to see Mike standing there, looking awkward and unsure.

“Mike,” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I overheard Trevor and Silvia talking about how you took a nasty fall,” he frowned. “How did you manage that?”

Sonny chuckled. God, but he was happy to see Mike again. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“I’ll let you two talk,” Rafael said, kissing Sonny on the cheek before stepping away. “I’ll grab something to eat, I’ll bring you something, okay?”

He nodded, holding back on his instinct to pull Rafael back to him, to ask him to not take long, or to not go at all. Sonny hoped that once he manifested, that’d stop, because he couldn’t go on feeling like he was going to jump out of his skin and sit on Rafael’s chest for the rest of eternity. 

Once Rafael left, Mike took a seat on the chair he’d been occupying, and looked at Sonny expectantingly. 

“You’re okay, then?,” Mike asked. “You don’t look like someone who just fell out of the sky.” 

“Rafael, Trevor and Silvia were quick,” he smiled. “They saved me.” 

“But why did you fall?” 

Sonny sighed, and got comfortable. He and Mike hadn’t really talked in a while, and he had no idea about the whole Veela situation, so Sonny brought him up to speed, and told him everything that happened the last couple of weeks. He told Mike things he hadn’t even told Rafael; the stirring of something in his chest, the abnormal need to just make sure that Rafael was okay.

They had been reading a lot ever since the first time Sonny fainted, and he knew all these thoughts and feelings meant the Veela in Sonny had found its mate, and it was Rafael. 

“Just the thought of being away from him right now is making me queasy,” Sonny said, shaking his head. “I feel like an animal, Mike.”

“Holy shit, Sonny,” was the first thing he’d said in many minutes. He had been listening to Sonny with an increasingly wide-eyed expression. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this? I would have been there for you.”

“I thought you hated me,” Sonny said, but when Mike started shaking his head, Sonny stopped him. “Listen, I know I was wrong. I should have asked you what you needed from me, what you wanted me to do. I always knew you were going to be amazing at whatever you chose to do, Mike, I just wanted you to choose what  _ you  _ wanted.” 

“I know,” Mike said quickly. “I know you never meant to hurt my feelings, but you did.”

Sonny sighed, nodding. “I really am sorry, especially for the things I said about your father.” 

“I know you are,” he chuckled. “And you weren’t wrong about  _ some _ of it, I’ll admit. But we’re still best friends, and no matter what happens, whenever something like this is going on, you can definitely count on me.”

“Thanks,” he smiled.

“So are you really going into the Aurors program?”

“Yeah, I think I am.” 

Mike stood up, and Sonny thought he was going to leave, but then Mike offered him a hand to shake, and Sonny beamed as he took it. 

“I look forward to working with you,” Mike said, and he was beaming too, and Sonny couldn’t help but pull him into a hug. “I missed you, man.”

“I missed you, too,” Sonny said, patting him on the back. “And I’m really sorry, Mike, really, I promise I’ll do better.”

“It’s all good,” he said, and pulled back. “Are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he nodded. “As long as I don’t have to look at Muñoz’s face again,” Sonny half-joked.

“I never trusted that guy,” Mike scoffed. “He walks around looking down on everyone. Last week he got detention for talking back at Professor McCoy.”

Sonny lifted an eyebrow. “His own Head of House?”

“Right! McCoy took 15 points from Ravenclaw, too, it was crazy.” 

Sonny gasped. “How did I miss that? Where was I?”

Mike chuckled. “Probably had your tongue down Rafael’s throat somewhere around the castle.”

Sonny couldn’t help it, he looked at Mike with a surprised face then started laughing, a deep, happy laugh that soon enough had the other Hufflepuff laughing, too. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Mike,” Sonny said once they caught their breath. 

Mike waved a dismissive hand at him and sat back down. “That’s what friends are for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SoMeOnE may or may nOt manifest next chapter, but you didn't hear it from me! hehe 
> 
> Let me know what you think so far! MWAH <3 see you tomorrow


	8. The Veela Manifestation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny manifests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINALLY HERE! The moment we've all been waiting for. I've read a lot of Veela fics in the Harry Potter world and I used some of what I've read as inspiration to build Sonny's manifestation scene. One thing all these fics had in common is that the transformation is very, very painful, so oop
> 
> Enjoy!

The night when Sonny finally manifested was nothing but pure agony, to both him and Rafael. After Sonny’s second fainting episode, the Hogwarts staff was convinced that he was bound to manifest any day now, so every night since then, Sonny slept in the infirmary, where Madam Warner could keep a close eye on him.

Thankfully Rafael was allowed to come and go as he wished - Professor Tutuola’s suggestion, given the possibility that Rafael might be Sonny’s mate. Although he wasn’t allowed to sleep in the infirmary with Sonny, he spent his nights there, until he was two seconds away from falling asleep on his chair and Sonny kindly sent him on his way to Ravenclaw tower.

During the day, Sonny attended classes normally, but every professor kept a close watch for any chance he might faint again. They definitely did not need Sonny to get a concussion on top of everything else, no matter how much the Hufflepuff insisted he felt fine. 

Sonny’s parents visited every other day, and while his mother seemed worried and on edge about what was happening, his father was proud. He had told Sonny and Rafael about the amazing things his ancestors had done for the Veela community, and he was happy that Sonny was bound to be a part of that, too. 

On the night it happened, Sonny fell asleep earlier than he normally did, seemingly incapable of keeping his eyes open even as Rafael spoke to him. Eventually he fell into a deep slumber, and Rafael called Madam Warner to check on his vitals. 

It came as no surprise to either of them that while Sonny’s vitals looked good, his magical levels were wildly unstable. So Madam Warner promptly contacted St. Mungo’s and asked for a Healer to support a student on the brink of manifesting, and Professor Tutuola showed up a while later and camped in her office. 

The Healer kept monitoring Sonny’s magical levels, and it seemed to get lower and lower as time passed. 

“Is that normal?,” Rafael asked, his grip on Sonny’s hand tighter than he realized. 

“It is, Mr. Barba,” Madam Warner said, looking sympathetic. “His creature blood is acting stronger than his magical blood right now so it can manifest into his inheritance. It’ll all go back to normal once it’s over.”

Sonny was sweating, and his brow was pinched in a way that looked like he was feeling pain. Rafael tried to sooth him, but it didn’t seem like Sonny could hear him at all. 

“It’s important that you stay by his side, Rafael,” Professor Tutuola started cautiously. “But remember that Veelas are  _ creatures _ , they can go feral like any other. If you feel threatened, defend yourself.” 

Rafael shook his head. “Sonny wouldn’t hurt me.” 

“Right now I’m not sure if he’d recognize any of us,” he said gravely. “Not even you.”

Sonny started whimpering and trashing suddenly, and the three adults in the room watched him with their wands drawn. Rafael had read a lot about what could happen during a manifestation, and a lot of it wasn’t pretty at all. There was wild magic cursing through Sonny’s veins, and at first he might not be able to control the creature. 

They also weren’t sure if Sonny would be a winged Veela or not, and that was another level of gore and agony Rafael wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready to face. The books Rafael found all said that growing wings was the most agonizing part for a Veela, physically speaking. Rafael had read, in graphic details, the way Sonny’s muscles and bones would shift and rip and crack until the wings finally sprung out, slicing his skin as it went.

Rafael begged to all deities known to humankind that Sonny wouldn’t have to go through that.

Sonny sat up suddenly, arching into himself tightly, arms around his torso as he whimpered and grunted loudly. His breath came in puffs, and then he fisted the sheets as he screamed in agony. Rafael felt tears running down his own face, but wiped them away quickly. 

Sonny laid back down and panted, twisting and grunting, eyes still closed. 

When Sonny’s eyes did snap open, Rafael gasped. His beautiful blues were gone, taken over by full white. He suddenly sprung up in bed again, looking from one side to the other as if searching for something. Rafael jumped back, unsure of what was going on, but he noticed that Professor Tutuola had cast a shield charm around him. 

Sonny’s nostrils flared, and he inhaled sharply before his eyes snapped to Rafael, a smile forming on his lips. His eyes went back to normal as he stepped off the bed, approaching Rafael in slow steps. 

He would recognize that shade of blue anywhere, but the way Sonny was looking at him was something he’d never seen before, not to this extent. It looked animalistic, predatory, like a beast sizing up their prey before it pounced.

“Sonny,” he whispered, trying to pull him back from whatever trance this was. “Sonny, it’s me. It’s me, Rafael, your boyfriend. Remember me?” 

Sonny’s nostrils flared again, and he started rounding Rafael slowly, never taking his eyes off of him. Rafael tried to reach for him, but the shield wouldn’t let him. He looked over to Professor Tutuola, who shook his head firmly. 

“Rafael,” Sonny said, and Rafael looked at him, hoping Sonny was back to normal, but his eyes were white again, and Rafael took a step back instinctively. 

That probably wasn’t a good idea, because suddenly Sonny made a grab at him, only to be thrown back by the professor’s protective shield. Sonny hissed, looking around wildly, until he caught sight of the other people around him. 

He stood directly in front of Rafael, and he could hear the other boy making a low sound, like growling, as he watched the people watching him. 

“Sonny,” he tried again. “Sonny, look at me, please.” 

Sonny looked over his shoulder at Rafael, and he inhaled loudly again. It was then that Rafael realized Sonny was  _ smelling  _ him, scenting him through the air, and he remembered how important a Veela’s sense of smell was. He probably recognized Rafael’s smell, and was clearly reacting to it. 

“Professor, please drop the shield,” Rafael asked, confident as he rolled up his sleeves. 

“Mr. Barba, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Madam Warner protested, but the professor seemed to understand what he was doing and dropped the shield, although his wand was still at the ready.

“Remember what I said, Barba, he’s a  _ creature _ ,” he said firmly, and Rafael hated what they were reducing Sonny to.

“And you’ve taught us how to approach creatures respectfully, professor,” Rafael told him, then reached for Sonny and closed his hand around his arm. “Sonny. It’s me.”

Rafael heard Madam Warner stifle a yell when Sonny threw himself into Rafael’s arm, but the boy did nothing but curl into his chest and nose into his neck, breathing heavily as he shook profusely. 

“Sh, sh, sh,” he cooed, wrapping both arms around Sonny and holding him close. “I know, it’s okay, I promise. You’re okay, Sonny. Can you understand me?”

There was no reply from Sonny, but he didn’t move for many more minutes as Rafael cooed and shushed him, whispering soft praises into his ear. Slowly, Sonny relaxed and stopped shaking, the pitiful whimpering died down, and he settled on breathing in Rafael’s scent in deep lungfuls of air. 

It seemed like an eternity before Rafael felt Sonny’s weight completely fall against his chest, but he held him up once he noticed the boy was unconscious again.

“He fainted,” Rafael told Madam Warner, and all three adults were around him in a blink, helping him move Sonny into bed. 

He looked like he had fallen into an unperturbed sleep now, and the Healer started casting spells on him.

“His magical levels are still low, but stable,” the Healer said. “I believe he’s gone through the worst of it for now, we should let him rest. We’ll need revitalizing potions when he wakes up again, Madam Warner.”

The two witches went back into the office, but Professor Tutuola stayed behind, casting other spells on Sonny’s sleeping form.

“Good instincts, Barba,” he praised, smiling. “20 points to Ravenclaw.”

Rafael shrugged, taking Sonny’s hand in his again. “I know him. I told you he’d never hurt me.”

Professor Tutuola chuckled, then patted Rafael on the back before following his colleagues into the back office. Rafael sat there watching Sonny sleep for a very long time after that.

* * *

Mike showed up about an hour later, carrying the food basket that had been traveling around the castle for the last few days. Their friends had been kind enough to take turns bringing them both food, and tonight it appeared to be Mike’s turn. 

“Hey, got your dinner,” Mike said with a smile, then slowed his steps once he noticed Sonny was sleeping. “Is he okay?”

“I think so,” Rafael sighed. “He’s stable for now, but… I think it happened, Mike. At least some of it.”

“Yeah? And how was it?” 

“Agonizing, for all involved,” Rafael ran a hand over his face, sighing deeply.

“You look like you need a rest, Rafael,” Mike said sympathetically. “I can stay here with him.”

Rafael shook his head. “No, I have to stay. He might need me.” 

Suddenly, there was a screech so loud and sharp one of the windows exploded above them. Rafael crouched down for cover, but kept his eyes on Sonny as the boy convulsed on the bed. He turned on his front and started biting into his pillow hard enough to rip it. 

“Sonny,” Rafael called, straightening up again, and the Hufflepuff turned his head toward him, but kept making a distressed sound, like a wounded animal. It was absolutely heartbreaking. 

He was shaking so much Rafael thought he was going to hurt himself, but there was nothing he could do. The helplessness was devastating, and soon enough Rafael found himself crying again. 

“What’s happening to him?,” Mike asked, and he looked to be just in as much agony as Rafael. He turned to Madam Warner, alarmed. “Help him! Do something!”

Madam Warner shook her head. “There’s nothing we can, Mr. Dodds. He has to push through on his own.”

“But this can’t be normal. He’s in pain!,” he tried to approach the bed, but the new shield Professor Tutuola had casted held him back. “Sonny!”

Sonny screeched loudly again, getting on all fours on the bed as he tried to push himself into a standing position again. He was still shaking, but it seemed to be mostly from pain. 

“Let me help him,” Rafael begged his professor, who only shook his head. “He needs help!”

“There’s nothing you can do for him right now, Mr. Barba,” Professor Tutuola told him firmly.

After what felt like an eternity, everything stopped. Sonny fell back into the mattress, sweaty and breathless, but quiet and motionless. 

Rafael thought he might be unconscious again, but then he heard it. Sonny’s voice, weak and distant, calling his name.

“Raf,” he said, then coughed. “Rafael, please.” 

Professor Tutuola dropped the shield then, and Rafael immediately climbed into bed with him, gathering him in his arms. 

“You did great, love. You were so good,” he said, pressing kisses to Sonny’s forehead. “You’re okay now, it’s over. You’re okay.”

He had no idea if it actually was over, but he hoped with everything in him that it was. 

Sonny kept calling his name until he eventually fell asleep. And according to Madam Warner, he hadn’t fainted this time, he was  _ actually  _ asleep from exhaustion. A while after that, his magical levels went back to normal, but Rafael didn’t let go of him, he kept Sonny pressed against his chest, kept whispering quietly to him.

“You should probably eat something,” Mike said. He had taken a seat by the end of Sonny’s bed and had been watching him with fear in his eyes for long minutes. 

“Can you get something for me?,” he extended a hand, but still didn’t move. 

Mike nodded, and collected the previously discarded basket. He pulled out a sandwich and handed it to Rafael, then grabbed an apple for himself.

They ate in silence for a while, but the food seemed to lift Mike’s mood slightly. 

“That was terrifying,” he whispered, looking at Sonny again. “How painful do you think that was for him?”

“According to what I’ve read, excruciating,” Rafael said, tightening his hold on Sonny. “I’m just glad he’s not getting wings.” 

Mike’s eyes widened as he processed what that meant. “Is there anything I can do?”

Rafael was about to say he’d already done enough when he had an idea. “Do you think you could talk to the other Prefects and ask them to free up the Prefects’ bathroom tonight?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” he stood up, setting the food basket on the bedside table. “That’s a great idea.”

“Thanks, Mike,” Rafael smiled. “I’ll let him know you were here.” 

“No problem,” Mike waved a hand. “Take care of yourself too, Rafael, okay? I’ll see you later.”

Rafael watched him leave, then turned back to Sonny. “I’m so sorry. Nobody deserves that much pain, least of all you. But you did great, I’m so proud of you.” 

Sonny shifted in his sleep, nosed along Rafael’s jawline and sighed, settling quietly. Rafael fell asleep with both his arms around Sonny, and a hopeful feeling in his chest.

* * *

Sonny couldn’t believe how  _ amazing _ he felt. He’d been released from the infirmary the night after he manifested, but not before Rafael had sneaked him out and into the Prefects’ bathroom, where they shared an amazing bath and Sonny had seen his boyfriend naked for the first time.

He grinned, giddy, as he thought back at how absolutely gorgeous Rafael was. And then he flushed when he remembered the way he hadn’t been able to keep his hands to himself. Thankfully, Rafael was on board.

Going through what they’d gone through had brought on a need to connect, to be together, and so they were, in every way they could, and it was the most beautiful experience of Sonny’s life.

After all the pain he felt, the dread and the horror, it felt like Rafael put him back together piece by piece and soothed every part of him. Being with Rafael took him to heaven and back, and everything felt heightened once the Veela that was now free inside of him recognized Rafael for who he was. 

The love of Sonny’s life, his mate.

Rafael’s voice in his ear was like a beautiful song that wrapped him up, and took him so far over the edge he wasn’t sure he’d ever fall back down from the high of it all. But when he did, there he was, the man he loved, in his arms, loving him too. 

“Why do you look so smug?,” Rafael asked as they made their way outside, to their favorite spot by the tree.

“I was just thinking about last night,” he grinned. 

Rafael chuckled. “Which part? Last night was a little hit or miss, you know.” 

Sonny pulled him in by the waist, stopping in the middle of the hallway. “You know which part I’m talking about.” 

“Yes, I do,” he smirked, pressing himself against Sonny. “You did pretty well for a young Veela.” 

Sonny laughed, shaking his head amusedly. “You wanna know what the Veela was telling me to do with you?”

Sonny felt Rafael shudder in his arms, and smiled triumphantly. 

The Veela wasn’t talking to him, though, it was just part of him. He had new instincts now, especially when it came to Rafael. It was like he had a sixth sense when it came to the Ravenclaw, and he could just  _ sense _ what he needed. He felt more confident, and more like he simply needed to devote his life to making Rafael happy. 

“I think I’d like to hear about it,” Rafael breathed, looking a little dazed. 

Sonny took his mouth in a passionate kiss, tasting and claiming freely. He let go with a loud, echoing  _ smack _ and grabbed Rafael’s hand. 

“Come on, I know a place,” he smiled. “I’ll tell you everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT HAPPENED! The boys can finally breathe - or can they?? :P
> 
> Next chapter: there's a party and some drinks!!! But also some tears. See you tomorrow! MWAH


	9. The Inter-house Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael gets some really bad news from home, but there's a party to cheer him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Veela manifestation moment might be over, but there were other things happening in the background that come back to bite the boys in the ass. I had to bring it back, and there are some tears, but it'll all be fine -- I hope!
> 
> Enjoy!

One week after Sonny came into his inheritance, things were mostly back to normal. The gossip had died down, Sonny was feeling better than ever, and looked light as air. His charm and handsomeness, on the other hand, had gone through the rough, and Rafael could barely look at him without pouncing. 

There was an ethereal glow to him, and he had never looked better. His hair fell perfectly on his forehead, without him even trying, his skin had a peachy-gold sheen to it, and his smile was so beautiful it could kill. Rafael knew he was biased, but the way the Hogwarts student body seemed to sigh dreamily in unison whenever Sonny walked by told him everything he needed to know. 

Sonny learned something new about himself every day now, and he spent as much time in the library as Rafael, reading up on the history of Veelas, their rituals, their accomplishments. He was always  _ so excited  _ to share the things he found, and his pout at the pictures of winged-Veelas was adorable to see. 

Rafael chose to keep to himself what he’d read about the trauma of growing wings, and kissed away Sonny’s pink pout. 

“You don’t need wings, love,” Rafael told him. “Nobody can outfly you on your broom.” 

“Damn right,” Sonny giggled. “You should come on a ride with me.” 

Rafael lifted an eyebrow at him. “Is that code for something else?”

“I wouldn’t say no to that, but I actually mean a broom ride,” he winked. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Rafael hesitated. He had only been on a broom for the mandatory classes on 1st and 2nd years. He wasn’t a fan. 

“Come on,” Sonny pouted. “Don’t you trust me?”

And there was no way Rafael could ever say no to that face, so apparently they had a _ flying date _ on Saturday.

Sonny, being the beautiful, kind, forgiving soul he was, hadn’t pointed any fingers at Muñoz for the accident he’d caused. Thankfully, the boy had chosen to stay away from them, but a couple days after Sonny had left the infirmary, he had sat waiting for Rafael in the Ravenclaw common room.

Rafael immediately felt his anger flare when the other boy approached him to apologize, but he didn’t let him get too far into it before he pulled out his wand and pressed the tip right to Muñoz’s jugular.

“I’m only going to say this once, Muñoz, so listen to me very closely,” Rafael started, his voice low and dangerous. “From now on, you won’t approach me, and you will definitely not go  _ anywhere  _ near Sonny, do you understand me? You have no idea what you’re playing with, and you could get  _ really  _ hurt.”

And he wasn’t joking, either. Rafael had read about what happened to people who tried to hurt or win over a Veela’s mate, although not many had lived to tell that story. 

Muñoz had nodded, then silently retreated and went back to his dorm room. After that, Muñoz kept to himself, and only spoke when spoken to. Rafael felt a little guilty for a while, but then he remembered the sight of Sonny falling from the sky, and it vanished. 

Sonny and Mike were also back on their shared horse, the Hufflepuff team was complete and thriving, and Rafael finally felt like he could breathe again whenever he saw a huge smile on Sonny’s face. 

But that lasted until Friday morning, when he got a letter from home. 

> _ Son, _
> 
> _ I’m happy to hear that Sonny’s manifestation went well. I can only imagine how stressed you’ve been, but know that you can enjoy this beautiful gift magic has given you. I’ve always known you and Sonny were meant to be, and this proves it.  _
> 
> _ No one could ever love someone else the way a Veela loves their mate, and I’m very happy that you’ve found that, my son. _
> 
> _ But I’m afraid I must burst your bubble for a moment. The Healers have been very honest with me, and they don’t think a care-home will make much of a difference at this point. Your grandmother is staying at St. Mungo’s for a few more days, then we’re going home, and we’ll wait. _
> 
> _ I don’t think there’s much more time for your abuelita, Rafi. We need you to come home for Christmas, board the train as soon as you can. We need to share this last holiday together.  _
> 
> _ I hope you can still enjoy this experience with Sonny, and if he’d like to spend Christmas with us, he’s more than welcomed. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.  _
> 
> _ Much, much love, _
> 
> _ Lucia _

He was glad he’d taken the letter up to read in his room, because all he did was turn to his side and then he was crying openly into his pillow. It started with short tears, but soon he was sobbing in grief for something that hadn’t happened yet, but that he knew was coming.

He hiccupped and punched the mattress, distressed, frustrated. It wasn’t fair that he had to lose his grandmother like this, and not when everything seemed to be going well again. It wasn’t fair that he had to say goodbye when he wasn’t ready to. 

Rafael had just started to calm down when a second-year burst into his room, looking around wildly, nervous. “Mr. Barba,” he squeaked. “Mr. Carisi is outside asking for you. He said if he doesn’t see you immediately he’ll  _ Incendio  _ the door down.”

He sniffed loudly. “Let him come in,” Rafael said, and the other boy stuttered.

“I can’t let a student from another house--,” he started, but snapped his mouth shut when Rafael turned to him with a murderous expression.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said. “Let him in, tell him where I am.” 

The boy left as quickly as he came in, and after a small commotion downstairs, it was Sonny who was bursting into the room, looking worried.

“Raf,” he approached quickly and climbed on the bed, pulling Rafael into his lap immediately. “What happened?” 

Rafael handed him the letter, and new tears started coming up at the sight of his mother handwriting. He buried his face in Sonny’s chest and cried quietly as Sonny read.

Once he was done, Sonny put the letter away and laid down, pulling Rafael with him. “I’m so sorry, Raf. I’m really sorry. But she’s strong, your mother’s strong, and  _ you’re  _ so strong. You can do this, okay? I promise you can.”

“It’s not fair,” he said, face still hidden. He didn’t want Sonny to see him like this, but no place could ever feel as right as Sonny’s embrace. “I’m not ready.”

Sonny tightened his arms around him and started rocking him. “I know, it’s really not fair. And I’m sorry that this is happening. What do you need from me? Tell me what I can do, I’ll do anything.”

“Come home with me, please Sonny,” Rafael begged. “I don’t think I can do this alone.”

“And you don’t have to,” he said fiercely, kissing the top of Rafael’s head. “Of course I’ll go with you. I’ll be by your side the entire time. You’re so strong for your family, Rafael, but you don’t have to be strong with me, okay? I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

* * *

Rafael must have fallen asleep at some point, because when he opened his eyes again, his eyes were dry and he didn’t feel like the world was ending. 

He was lying on Sonny’s chest, one arm going around his stomach. Sonny’s hand was going through his hair softly, and he lifted his chin to look at him. Sonny smiled when their eyes met, and Rafael couldn’t help but smile back.

“Have I been out for long?,” he asked, voice a little rough. 

“About half an hour, maybe a little less,” Sonny caressed his cheek. “Carmen’s been downstairs yelling about you for ten minutes now.” 

Rafael blinked, sitting up slightly. “Wait,” he shook his head. “How did you know to come here?”

Sonny sat up, too, and he looked a little sheepish. “I was in my common room playing exploding snap with Mike, and suddenly I just felt so…  _ distraught _ . Really spooked Mike there for a second because I just started crying for no reason,” he chuckled. “Then I just knew it was you, and I came running.”

Rafael couldn’t believe it. “You…  _ felt  _ what I was feeling?” 

“I wouldn’t call it that. It felt more like… You know when you’re doing something and you just have a very bad feeling about it? It was more like that, more like an instinctive reaction, a gut-feeling.”

“Sonny, how’s that even possible?,” he was still gaping, unable to believe just how  _ much _ that meant. 

“Well, I think it’s because you’re my mate, Raf,” Sonny said with a brilliant smile. “And as your mate, I have to know when you need me to be there for you.” 

Rafael grabbed Sonny’s face between his hand and kissed him, soft and tender, just a sweet press of lips, then pulled back to look at him again, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling. His mother was right; this was the most beautiful gift Rafael had ever been given.

* * *

On Friday night, Rafael found himself in the room of requirements with all his friends. There was music playing, plenty of food to go around, and apparently Nick and Amanda had managed to sneak a bottle of firewhiskey into the castle. 

As a Prefect, Rafael should confiscate that, take points from each House, then leave them to their Heads of Houses to punish. As an 18 year old boy who had just gone through one hell of a week, he filled his cup, then passed the bottle to the next person.

Sonny was going around the room introducing Trevor and Silvia to everybody, and Rafael sat by the fireplace next to Olivia. The room had turned itself into one huge, luxurious ballroom for some reason, and there was barely any furniture around.

“Have you solved things with Nick?,” Rafael asked in a half-whisper.

Olivia shook her head. “He’s still acting weird.”

“He keeps looking this way,” he told her, and Olivia looked over her shoulder to confirm it. When their eyes met, Nick looked away. “Have you considered the reasons why he might be acting like this?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re doing that Ravenclaw thing.”

“What Ravenclaw thing?,” Rafael asked innocently, sipping his drink.

“You’re trying to lead me into figuring it out, because  _ you’ve  _ already figure it out,” Olivia pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Spill it, Barba.”

“I don’t think I should,” he grimaced.

“Why, did he confide in you or something?”

Rafael shook his head. “Not in me, no.”

“Listen, okay, whatever, don’t tell me, but if I did anything wrong--”

“You didn’t, Liv. Nick needs to figure himself out, to be honest. It’s on him, okay?,” he offered her a sympathetic smile. “Just tell him you’ll listen to whatever it is he has to say.”

Olivia snorted. “We both know Nick’s not really the most sensitive guy.”

“Nor the most sensible,” he winked at her, and she laughed. “You’ll both be fine, I’m sure.”

“We should play truth or dare!,” Amanda suddenly announced, standing in the center of the room.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mike shook his head.

Amanda frowned at him. “Why not?”

“Because if someone dares Rafael to do anything dangerous, Sonny might go feral on us,” Mike replied, pointing a finger at Rafael, then at Sonny.

“Hey!,” Sonny protested half-heartedly, and went skipping in Rafael’s direction.

“Oh, yeah,” Amanda agreed, then thought a little longer. “How about spin the bottle, then?”

“That’s even worse!,” Carmen said this time.

“If anybody tries to kiss Barba, Carisi will  _ definitely _ go feral on us,” Rita said, but she looked  _ pleased. _

“I’m not even gonna try to defend myself on that one,” Sonny shrugged, sitting down next to Rafael. “It’s true.”

“Never Have I Ever sounds harmless enough though, right?,” Mike suggested.

Rita smirked, then raised her glass. “Never have I ever sucked Veela dick!”

“Shut  _ up _ !,” Rafael yelled at her.

“You gotta drink, Raf,” Sonny snickered beside him, bumping their shoulders together with a giggle.

“Never have I ever given a Veela a handjob,” Nick said, smirking.

“Never have I ever fuc--,” Amanda started, but Mike put a hand over her mouth with a snicker.

Rafael rolled his eyes, grunting. “I swear I’ll leave this party.”

Olivia laughed. “No, you won’t.”

* * *

About an hour later, everybody was at least a little tipsy, but the bottle of firewhiskey was now empty and forgotten somewhere around the room. Rafael had a plan to go after it to get rid of the evidence, but right now he was way happier stuffing his face with a huge piece of cake that had materialized in front of him.

“I love magic,” Rafael giggled, and took another bite. 

Olivia had abandoned him about half an hour ago, and she was now in a corner talking in whispers with Trevor. Rafael smirked at them, then he caught sight of Nick glaring at them and pulled a face.

“That’s not gonna end well,” he told his cake, and went back to eating.

Rafael was well satisfied, standing alone in his corner with some cake, watching Sonny flying around the room with Mike following closely behind him in what seemed to be a race. He had no idea where they found brooms, but there was nothing the room of requirement couldn’t do. 

Suddenly, Rafael felt a cold spell wash over him, and whirled around to see Carmen pointing her wand at him. He shivered as the spell took effect, then grunted uncomfortably. He absolutely hated sobering charms.

“Was that necessary?,” Rafael asked Carmen with a grimace. 

“I’d say so,” she chuckled. “You’ve been telling your plate how much you love Sonny for about five minutes now.”

He grunted at himself, spelling his empty plate away. “Thanks for saving me from myself.”

“You’re welcome,” Carmen leaned against the wall beside him, and considered him for a moment before reaching for his hand. “How are you feeling?”

Rafael shrugged. “Distracted enough.”

Carmen tutted, shaking her head. “Rafael, I know this is hard, but you can lean on me if you need to,” she looked around the room. “On any of us, really.”

“I am,” he smiled softly. “Why do you think I’m here tonight?”

“The food?,” Carmen teased.

Rafael laughed. “I wouldn’t mind another slice of cake,” he joked. “But no, because I knew being with all of you would make me feel better.”

Carmen narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you? Or did Sonny tell you that? Because that sounds like him, not you.”

He rolled his eyes, huffing. “Okay, yeah, Sonny had to convince me to come, but I’m glad I did. I’ve had fun, and at least for a couple hours I forgot how sad I actually am.”

Carmen pulled him into a tight, comforting hug. “It’s okay, I understand,” she pulled back and looked at him with a sympathetic smile. “Christmas break is in less than two weeks, you’ll see her soon.”

* * *

Sonny was laughing as Mike tried to outmaneuver him again, but failed. The room had given them two brooms, and the two of them plus Trevor and Silvia had been taking turns in flying them. There were no Snitches or Quaffles around though, so they made do with racing each other around the room.

He was on his last lap towards the ultimate victory when he felt something heavy between his ribs, an uncomfortable pressure that made him suddenly feel sad. He remembered the last time he’d felt that, and immediately searched for Rafael.

“Sonny?,” Mike called, confused once he realized Sonny was no longer racing him. “Is everything alright?”

Sonny watched as Carmen pulled Rafael into a hug, and it was like he had tunnel vision. The uncomfortable pressure in his chest was replaced by an angry tension around his shoulders, and he could feel it spreading through him alarmingly fast.

“Hey, you don’t look too good,” Mike was saying, flying to him and holding him by the arm. “Why don’t we land before you lose your balance, uh?”

He blinked, then looked at Mike for a second. Here was Mike, his best friend, trying to make sure he was okay, trying to lead him to safety. 

Sonny looked at Rafael again, and saw the way Carmen was looking at him with a sympathetic expression. She was his best friend, and she was making sure he was okay, too. Carmen cared for Rafael the same way Mike cared for Sonny, and that was okay. She wasn’t a threat, Rafael was safe with her.

“It’s okay,” Sonny said out loud, then turned to Mike. “I’m sorry, I kinda went in a daze there.”

Mike snorted. “Yeah, I could see that. Were you jealous of Carmen?”

He couldn’t help but blush. It was absurd, even if he couldn’t help it. “Yeah, just for a sec.”

“You controlled it well, man,” Mike smiled, punching him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re doing great, don’t worry.”

Sonny smiled, nodding at Mike, trying to believe him. He was still trying to get used to the new reactions that the Veela brought up. Professor Tutuola had told him it would get easier with time, that it wouldn’t be as irrational once he learned to live with it a bit better. 

He was slowly learning what triggered it, slowly trying to make sense of it all, and most days it was exhausting. Other days, like that day, it felt like a huge success, and he knew he was making progress.

Sonny was thankful for Carmen, for how she was comforting Rafael, and that was that. He let it go, and went back to the game. 

“Eat my ass, Dodds!,” Sonny yelled as he took off again, leaving a stunned Mike behind. 

“Goddamnit,” he grunted, then turned his broom back around and followed after Sonny as fast as he could. 

A moment later, Sonny completed his last lap, laughing loudly as Mike made rude gestures at him. 

He looked around and caught sight of Rafael again, but this time the other boy was looking back. Rafael waved at him, smiling, and Sonny felt his whole being warm up as he beamed and waved back at his mate. 

What a  _ great  _ party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly loved writing the party. To me it was a moment where they could really just be teenage students in a boarding school without (much of) all the seriousness that's been surrounding them.
> 
> Also -- I started working on a oneshot that's set 6 years after this, about what happens when Sonny does go feral. I'm not gonna lie, it's not my favorite work of mine, but it's 10k words and 99% done, so if yall think that would interesting to read, I'll post it for you. Let me know!! 
> 
> See you tomorrow for our last chapter before the epilogue!! <3


	10. The Flights, Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael take flights together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is the last chapter! And to think I almost didn't finish writing this! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! <3

“I’m not sure about this,” Rafael said for the third time as he and Sonny walked into the Quidditch pitch.

Sonny looked like his sunny self, carefree, smiling broadly with a broom in hand, his other arm wrapped around Rafael’s waist as they walked together. God, but the boy was  _ beautiful  _ and suddenly Rafael felt the fight leave him.

“Do you trust me?,” Sonny asked, still smiling. 

Rafael sighed dramatically. “Of course I do.”

Sonny placed a kiss on Rafael’s cheek with a loud  _ smack _ . “Let’s do this, then!” 

As they walked in further into the pitch, towards the center, Rafael noticed there was a group of people on the Hufflepuff stands. He squinted, trying to make out who it was, and rolled his eyes once he did.

Sonny seemed to realize they were being watched at that same time, because he gasped enthusiastically and started waving at their friends. “Look, we’ve got an audience!”

Mike, Trevor, Silvia and, surprisingly, Olivia, started hollering and waving back.

“An audience or a damage control team in case you decide to drop me?,” Rafael chuckled.

“I’d never drop you, Raf,” he waved a dismissive hand. “Besides, no one’s as good as you when it comes to a powerful  _ arresto momentum _ .”

“I hope Silvia’s got cushioning charms at the ready,” Rafael mumbled under his breath as Sonny mounted his broom.

“I heard that,” he snorted. “Come on, get on behind me and put your arms around me.” 

With a deep breath, Rafael did as he was told, then immediately hugged Sonny around the waist  _ tightly _ . 

“I don’t think you’ve ever held me this tight before, Raf,” he joked. “Maybe we should have done this sooner, uh?”

“Absolutely not,” Rafael said curtly, pressing his whole front against the expanse of Sonny’s back. 

“Alright, I’m gonna kick up, okay? Try not to make any sudden movements so we don’t lose our balance.” 

It was a very subtle movement, but suddenly Rafael was hyper aware of his feet not touching the ground and ended up wrapping his legs around Sonny, too. 

“I don’t like this,” he squealed, hiding his face between Sonny’s shoulder blades. 

“Hey, hey,” Sonny started softly, a hand on his ankle. “If you really don’t wanna do this, we can stop.” 

“No, it’s okay, I’m fine,” Rafael lied, but he didn’t want to rain on Sonny’s parade, he’d just been  _ so  _ excited to fly with Rafael.

“I can feel how anxious you are,” he said calmly, his hand going up and down Rafael’s leg. “You don’t have to push yourself.”

“But I want to,” Rafael definitely  _ did not _ whine. “I trust you, I do, I feel safe and secure with you. We can do this, come on, just rip it off like a bandaid.” 

Sonny laughed. “Okay, but close your eyes and take deep breaths. I’ll take us up and let you know when you can look again.”

Rafael nodded, and he could feel that they were moving, but he held on and let Sonny take him wherever. He knew Sonny would never do anything to hurt him, he’d throw  _ himself  _ off this broom before anything could happen to Rafael, so as he suggested, Rafael breathed. 

He inhaled Sonny’s perfume, his soap, his laundry detergent; he was just so  _ glued  _ to him, Sonny filled up his lungs. 

Before he knew it, Rafael could feel wind going through his hair, a cold breeze that made him extra thankful for how naturally warm Sonny was. 

“Hey, Raf,” Sonny called softly, and then he felt Sonny’s hand on his. “We’re very high right now, but I need to you take a deep, deep breath and open your eyes when you’re ready. Don’t be scared, please, you’re safe, okay? I promise.”

Rafael took a deep breath, released it, then lifted his head and opened his eyes. His stomach immediately turned because  _ Jesus Christ _ they were really high in the sky, but the view was breathtaking.

The pitch was now small bellow them, but he could see the entirety of Hogwarts from there. The sun was setting right behind it, and it cast a beautiful golden glow over the castle. The clouds looked orange and pink, changing as the winds blew them away. 

“Wow,” he breathed. “This is beautiful.” 

Sonny was still flying them, slowly, and from the other side Rafael could peak the Forbidden Forest. Birds flew in and out of the trees, getting ready to sleep and the forest grew darker as the castle shadowed it from the last rays of sun. 

“Can we see the lake?,” Rafael asked, amazed by everything he could see. 

Sonny beamed. “Yeah, it’s a little far ahead.” 

He flew a bit faster, but Rafael wasn’t scared. He was in awe, taking in the sights. 

“Oh look, it’s Professor Tutuola!,” he laughed, pointing below, where the professor led a group of… something into the Forest. “Do you think he can see us?”

“I doubt it,” Sonny said. “But there’s the lake.” 

Rafael looked to the other side and gasped, once again taken by surprise by how stunning the view was. The lake looked grand, calm, endless, the last remains of the sun making the blue surface glisten, beautiful and bright. 

Sonny and Rafael just sat up there, taking it all in. All of Rafael’s four limbs were still wrapped about Sonny, but now it was more of an embrace and less of a grip for fear of death. He had the thought that he probably looked like a koala, hugging Sonny the way he was, but he was very comfortable in that position, so he just let it be and sighed contently.

As he looked around, Rafael was glad that Sonny had convinced him to do this, because nothing else in the world compared. 

“You ready to go back down?,” Sonny asked a few minutes later. “It’s getting cold.”

“Yeah, okay,” Rafael said, but he didn’t close his eyes as Sonny started to descend. He wasn’t scared, not even when Sonny tipped the broom down and he could see the grass below approaching. 

“How about a little faster?,” he suggested, and Rafael nodded in reply. 

Sonny picked up speed and started to straighten the broom as they approached the ground. Rafael could swear his stomach had just taken a leap somewhere else, but he laughed at the thrill of it all. 

Even when they reached landing distance, Sonny just kept going in circles around the pitch, flying towards their friends on the stands, who cheered loudly. Rafael was laughing, open and free, the wind fast on his face. Sonny’s amazing control of the broom was exhilarating, and he just kept making turns and spinning effortlessly. 

“Attention crew, prepare for landing,” Sonny joked, and slowed down as he approached the ground. 

Rafael barely felt it when his feet hit the ground again. 

“That was amazing!,” he laughed, getting off the broom. 

“Yeah?,” Sonny beamed at him, cheeks flushed. “Did you really like it?”

“It was beautiful, Sonny,” Rafael said, leaning closer to him. “I loved it. Thank you.”

Sonny was still smiling when they kissed, and it tasted amazing.

* * *

Sonny found something oddly satisfying about how quiet the Great Hall was that early in the morning. There were only a few handful of people around, and only a couple professors on the high table. Sonny was, of course, sat next to Rafael on the Ravenclaw table.

It was the morning they’d be going home, the first train was leaving in two hours, and they were packed and ready to face whatever the holidays would bring them. Or so Sonny hoped.

Rafael was quieter than usual, focused on eating his breakfast. Sonny had tried to distract him with pointless chatter, but when that didn’t work, Sonny had fallen quiet, too, a hand on Rafael’s thigh under the table. Even though it was a struggle to eat one-handed, they both needed that connection.

Sonny kept checking on him, glancing his way, pulling more food closer to Rafael as he gradually finished what was on his plate. He was glad he at least found it in him to eat properly, given how prone Rafael was to forget himself sometimes.

Once he was done, the Ravenclaw turned to him with soft eyes and a tentative smile, a hand on Sonny’s cheek, and he could see the  _ thank you  _ written all over his face. He turned his head momentarily to place a kiss on Rafael’s palm.

“I think you should try to wear your hair pulled back,” Rafael suggested, pushing Sonny’s fringe away from his eyes. 

“Yeah? Like a coif, or something? All swoopy and elegant like yours?,” he smiled. 

Rafael chuckled. “I wouldn’t describe my hair as  _ swoopy _ . It’s styled.”

“I think I’ll try  _ styling  _ it, then,” Sonny touched the tip of his fingers to his upper-lip. “And I can feel a mustache coming on, what do you think? Should I grow it?”

Rafael pulled a face, shaking his head. “Your lips are too pretty to be overshadowed by… whatever could come out of there.”

“Hey, that’s offensive,” he snorted.

“You started it by offending  _ me  _ with that horrible suggestion,” Rafael scoffed, and Sonny was suddenly filled with so much  _ love  _ for him, he couldn’t help but lean in for a kiss. 

Rafael’s lips tasted like the coffee he’d been drinking, and Sonny hummed, pleased. 

“Thank you,” Rafael said once they parted. “For coming home with me.”

Sonny smiled at him again. “There’s no other place I’d rather go.”

There had been a bit of a back and forth with his mother a few weeks back. She wasn’t happy when Sonny  _ announced _ he wasn’t going home for Christmas, and would be staying with Rafael’s family instead. She stopped insisting, however, when he said Rafael was his mate, and he had to be with him.

Sonny could not even process the idea of being away from Rafael for two weeks for Christmas break, and with his grandmother currently struggling, Sonny just  _ had  _ to be by his side through it all.

He was absolutely positive that he’d lose his mind if he went home only to feel Rafael’s despair deep in his chest, a heartbreaking sadness that would just desolate him until he was close to his mate again. So when it came to it, the decision had been made before the problem had even reached them.

“Do you mind if I talk to Professor Tutuola before we go?,” Sonny asked. “I have a Christmas gift for him, as a thank you for everything he’s done for me.”

“Of course not,” Rafael squeezed his hand. “We have time.”

Professor Tutuola had become a confidant of sorts, listening to his worries and offering him books that explained everything Sonny was feeling. Whenever Sonny didn’t feel like himself, he’d go to him, and Professor Tutuola always knew what to say to reassure him. 

But most importantly, he was patient. “This is the biggest change you’ll ever go through in your life,” he’d said once Sonny had stopped his ranting to breathe. “It’ll feel like absolute torture some days, but in the end, you’ll be right where you’re supposed to be, and it’ll  _ feel  _ right.”

Sonny could hardly wait for that day. But at least, right now, being with Rafael was what felt the most  _ right _ .

“Sonny! Rafael!,” they heard, and both turned in time to see Bella running towards them with her arms full of gifts. “You can’t leave before you open these. Ma said I could give it to you now since you won’t be home for Christmas.”

Sonny chuckled, shaking his head amusedly as Bella handed them two packages each. Rafael immediately ripped one open, and, unsurprisingly, it appeared to be a book. He read the cover, then burst out laughing.

“This is amazing,” he said through giggles, then turned it for Sonny to see.

“ _ Romance through especies series, Volume I: the Veela who loved a human _ ,” Sonny read, then started laughing as well. “Bella, where did you get this?”

Bella was looking very pleased with herself. “It’s a secret. Now you open one, Sonny!”

Sonny picked a gift that had a very odd, very uneven shape, and started ripping the paper. Inside, he found a miniature Golden Snitch and a wooden stand. He looked at the pieces, puzzled, trying to figure out how it worked, or if it had broken. 

“Watch,” Bella pulled out her wand, and touched the tip to the stand. 

It immediately righted itself, and the Snitch opened its wings and started flying on top of it, but not really going anywhere else. 

“Whoa,” Sonny smiled. “This is really cool, thank you!”

Bella turned to Rafael again next, expectant as he opened the second present. It was a nice looking faux dragonhide notebook, with a metal closing clasp in the shape of an eagle. When Rafael tried to open it, however, it didn’t budge.

“You have to say the password,” Bella said smugly, and by the look in her eyes Sonny thought he knew what was coming. So he watched with a half-smirk as she touched her wand to the eagle and said, “Sonny is a noodle baby.”

Rafael immediately burst out laughing again, and Bella joined him. Sonny tried to look annoyed, be the sight of the two of them having fun together was enough to make him smile.

“You’re a very smart young lady,” Sonny teased. “Can I open my next gift now?”

“Sure, but it isn’t as cool as Rafael’s,” she promptly said with a subtle shrug.

“I don’t think you could ever top that anyway,” he said, chuckling again. 

He opened the package to find a kit with a very big tub of premium broom poolish and a bristles brush. Sonny’s eyebrows went up to his hairline and he whistled, because this brand was  _ expensive. _

“Where did you get the money to buy this?,” he asked Bella, and her reply was an eyeroll and a shrug that told him the answer: his mother. “Doesn’t matter. This is actually great, Bella, I always go through broom polish super fast. So thanks!”

“These really are great, thank you,” Rafael said kindly. “We’ve sent your gifts home for you, okay? But don’t forget to write to tell us if you liked them.”

“Okay! Merry Christmas,” she hugged them both, then bolted out of the Great Hall. 

“Well, that was interesting,” Sonny joked, spelling away all the wrapping. 

Rafael was laughing lightly as he leafed through the book, then picked up the notebook. “Oh, she left a note.”

> _ To Rafael:  _
> 
> _ Sonny told me your grandma isn’t feeling very well, so just so you know, I’ve asked all the fairies that live in my room to take care of her. And remember that no matter what happens, you’ll always have us, the Carisis.  _
> 
> _ Merry Christmas! _
> 
> _ Bella _

“I love your family,” Rafael said softly, closing the clasp with a soft  _ click,  _ tears in his eyes. 

“Good, because we’re all kinda crazy about you,” he pressed a kiss to Rafael’s cheek. “My trunk is full to the brink with gifts they’ve sent for you.”

Rafael sniffed, then shook his head. “They didn’t have to.”

“I know, but they wanted to, and they went all out, you won’t believe it.”

“Good morning, lover boys!,” came Rita’s voice, loud and confident, and they looked up to see their entire group of friends approaching them. “We come with parting gifts.”

Rafael chuckled. “We come back in two weeks.”

“We know,” Mike butted-in. “But you have a long way home, and we thought it’d be a good idea to bring you some things to help you along.”

Nick stepped forward and deposited a basket in front of them. “There are snacks, candies, a new deck to play exploding snap, and a bag of Gobstones,” he said.

“I added in some books as well,” Carmen said, and winked at Rafael.

“Wow, thanks so much, guys,” Sonny said, peeking into the basket curiously. 

He was amazed to see the entire group sit around them for breakfast. Mike came to sit next to Sonny, and he and Nick immediately started playing a game of catch with a bread, while Rita and Carmen sat next to Rafael. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Carmen talking to him in whispers, a hand on his shoulder, comforting. So he gave them a moment, and instead intercepted Mike’s bread and threw it at Trevor, who was still half-asleep and missed it. They all laughed when the piece of bread hit him square on the chest.

“Stop playing with your food, boys,” Silvia joked, then spelled the fallen bread into jumping around the table, knocking things over and making a mess.

Olivia was the first one to grab it, butter it, and bite into it. She hummed dramatically, pleased.

“You excited to spend Christmas with your mate?,” Mike asked with a teasing smile.

“I am,” Sonny nudged at Mike with his elbow. “I can’t be away from him right now.”

“You’re a good boyfriend, Sonny, I should get you a pin that says that,” he joked.

“And I’ll wear it proudly,” Sonny said happily. He turned to check on Rafael, who passed the book Bella had given him around and was watching as everybody read the title and laughed. “You okay?,” Sonny asked him, a hand on Rafael’s lower back. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he smiled at Sonny. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Sonny smiled back at him, then started laughing when Nick made gagging noises at them.

Rafael didn’t even hesitate as he pulled out his wand and hexed the glass the Gryffindor was holding, making pumpkin juice explode all over his face. 

As Nick sat there, shocked and dripping orange, Sonny watched as Rafael laughed so hard tears started spilling out of his eyes, and he had a feeling that they would actually be just fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue will be up tomorrow, it's just a short scene of them graduating and saying goobye to Hogwarts, but I want to take this moment to thank every single person who read this. It's not my most popular story, and that makes me extra grateful for all of you who decided to give this a chance <3 
> 
> As some of you have asked for it, I'll post the oneshot about Sonny going feral sometime next week -- if I manage to write the last scene soon. I appreciate you all so much <3 MWAH


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael say goodbye to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are officially done with this part of the story!! Thank you to everyone who had given this a chance, commented and interacted with me. This was a joy to write, and sharing it with you is always my favorite part.
> 
> Enjoy this last scene!

The sun was high and bright as they stood in line waiting to get into the boats. The graduation feasts and speeches had just finished, and they were now going to be taken away from Hogwarts the same way they’d been brought in seven years ago: through the lake.

That lake had come to mean so much to them, in so many ways. It had always been there, in the background, as their lives changed, as they went through tough times and beautiful times. 

Sonny remembered being sat by the lake the day he’d planned on asking Rafael to be his boyfriend, he remembered being devastated when Mike came to tell him that Rafael had been attacked. 

Rafael remembered how still and quiet the lake had been when he found Sonny’s unconscious form for the first time under the apple tree.

Sonny remembered kissing him, loving him, wanting to be closer to him, as the lake blew a chilled breeze at them. 

Rafael remembered being high in the sky, looking down at the beautiful glow as the water moved, languid and calm, his arms around Sonny as they flew over the Quidditch pitch. 

They had come into Hogwarts through this very lake. They’d been 11 years old then, bright-eyed and amazed at the enormous castle unveiling in front of them. Sonny and Rafael were brought in in different boats, but today they were living together, side by side, as young adults ready to take on the world, while staying committed to each other.

Their NEWTS were done, and Rafael certainly did not miss the stress of their last two weeks, but he couldn’t wait to get his results. Sonny, on the other hand, could. He just wanted to enjoy a worry-free summer with his boyfriend.

Sonny and Rafael were planning on travelling for a bit; nowhere too far, but somewhere they could make their own for a while. But when they came back, they were going to look for a place to live. A home. 

For that, Sonny was most excited, while Rafael proceeded with some caution. Adult life sounded scary, but promising and, most of all, Rafael was looking forward to meeting his mother and his grandmother at Platform 9 and ¾ for the last time. 

His abuelita wasn’t doing great, but she was hanging in there. The fact that she was well enough to see Rafael graduate was all he could ask for and, as Rafael felt Sonny squeezing his hand, things didn’t feel that scary.

“Are you ready?,” Sonny asked, beaming, once the line started moving. 

“I think I am,” he smiled. “Are you? I mean, this is it. Goodbye Hogwarts, goodbye Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.”

“We’ll still have our Houses going on strong inside of us, Raf,” Sonny said confidently. “And as for Hogwarts, it’ll always be here to welcome us back. So yeah, I’m ready.” 

Rafael pulled him closer by the hand and tilted his head up for a kiss. “Let’s go, then. I can’t wait to start my life with you.”

Sonny’s look softened. “I love you, and I can’t wait to find our own home.”

“I love you too,” Rafael smiled. “And I think we already did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A handful of you seemed interested in reading the oneshot about Sonny going feral, and I'm so grateful for you. I'll put that up as soon as I finish the last scene, hopefully that won't take two months lmao follow me on twitter for updates on my stories @pastelpinktv!!!
> 
> Thank you for another great experience, MWAH see you again soon!

**Author's Note:**

> AND WE'RE BACK!!! I can't believe I let this story sit for like 2 months thinking I wasn't going to be able to finish it, then I finished it in 5 days and started another oneshot to go up after this lmao I'm a clown
> 
> So yeah I'm almost done with the epilogue for this, and there will be a new chapter every week day. I really, really enjoyed writing this, and I was SO happy that I managed to finish it. I hope you enjoy it too, and buckle up because a lot happens! 
> 
> Please don't forget to show your support through comments and kudos, interacting with you guys is my favorite thing about posting these stories. MWAH! See you tomorrow!


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